bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MuRanker: a mutant ranking tool
Authors: Namin Akbar Siami , Xue Xiaozhen , Rosas Omar , Sharma Pankaj
Published: January 2015

Mutation testing is a fault‐based software testing technique in which a large number of mutants are generated in order to assess the adequacy of test cases devised. One of the daunting problems in this area consists in determining whether a mutant can be killed by a test case or it cannot be killed easily because the mutant is semantically equivalent to the original programme. A possible solution, as proposed in this paper, is to measure the complexity of each mutant and prioritize them according to how easy or hard they are to be exposed. As a result, using a proper metric based on the mutants' complexity, the tester may decide whether to focus on killing easy or hard mutants first.

This paper introduces MuRanker, a mutation ranking tool that ranks mutants according to their predicted difficulty and complexity in being detected. The tool uses distance functions to decide the difficulty level of mutants. The computation of the distance function score is based on three representations, namely the control‐flow‐graph representation, the Jimple representation and the information captured through the code coverage data to differentiate the changes in the original and mutant programs. The tool generates a report that displays mutants in an ordered list based on their complexity. Using this tool, the tester can choose mutants and then devise appropriate test cases with the goal of killing them. The mutation ranking idea and the developed tool allow the software tester to save substantial time and effort on a task that, otherwise, would require the user to manually identify the difficult mutants. To our knowledge, MuRanker is the first mutation tool that proposes ranking mutants to facilitate mutation testing.Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Re: Longitudinal changes in maternal soluble endoglin and angiopoietin‐2 in women at risk for pre‐eclampsia. A. Khalil, N. Maiz, R. Garcia‐Mandujano, M. Elkhouli and K. H. Nicolaides. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2014; 44: 402–410
Authors: Verlohren S.
Published: January 2015

Linked Comment: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2014; 44: 402–410
On the impact of D2D traffic offloading on energy efficiency in green LTE‐A HetNets
Authors: Yaacoub Elias , Ghazzai Hakim , Alouini Mohamed‐Slim , Abu‐Dayya Adnan
Published: January 2015

In this paper, the interplay between cooperative device‐to‐device (D2D) communications and green cellular communications in the long term evolution (LTE) and LTE‐advanced (LTE‐A) cellular systems is investigated. An efficient approach for grouping mobile terminals (MTs) into cooperative clusters is described. In each cluster, MTs cooperate via D2D communications to share content of common interest. In addition, an energy‐efficient approach for putting base stations in sleep mode in an LTE‐A heterogeneous network is presented. Finally, both methods are combined in order to ensure green communications for both the users' MTs and the operator's base stations. The presented techniques are investigated in the framework of orthogonal frequency division multiple access‐based state‐of‐the‐art LTE cellular networks, while taking resource allocation and intercell interference into account. Results show that the proposed approach leads to energy savings for both the operator and the MTs, while leading to enhanced quality of service for mobile users. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Energy‐aware supply route data collecting methods using wireless sensor networks
Authors: Huang Shih‐Chang , Chang Hong‐Yi
Published: January 2015

In military action, marching is a common method used for supply‐troop movement. Supply routes are typically in the wilderness where the route conditions change over time. This paper proposes a power‐saving algorithm allowing supply troops to collect route information using wireless sensor network technology. Each member in the marching supply troop is equipped with a battery‐powered sensor. To save power consumption, the proposed methods schedule the sleeping period for each member according to the size of the marching supply troop and its moving velocity. Two data carrying methods are proposed to reduce the frequency of long‐distance data uploading. The first method allows the uploaded data to be carried within a single‐round data collection period, and the second method extends the data carrying period to multiple rounds. The simulation results show that scheduling a sleep period can prolong the sensing distance along the route. These two proposed methods can add an additional 18–70% in distance data over methods without scheduling a sleep period. The energy spent on long‐distance data transmissions can be improved by 7–25%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Emotion, philosophical issues about
Authors: Deonna Julien , Tappolet Christine , Teroni Fabrice
Published: January 2015

We start this overview by discussing the place of emotions within the broader affective domain—how different are emotions from moods, sensations, and affective dispositions? Next, we examine the way emotions relate to their objects, emphasizing in the process their intimate relations to values. We move from this inquiry into the nature of emotion to an inquiry into their epistemology. Do they provide reasons for evaluative judgments and, more generally, do they contribute to our knowledge of values? We then address the question of the social dimension of emotions, explaining how the traditional nature versus nurture contrast applies to them. We finish by exploring the relations between emotions, motivation and action, concluding this overview with a more specific focus on how these relations bear on some central ethical issues.WIREs Cogn Sci2015, 6:193–207. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1342

This article is categorized under:

Philosophy > Value
Alterations in spatial memory and anxiety in the MAM E17 rat model of hippocampal pathology in schizophrenia
Authors: Gastambide Francois , Taylor Amy M. , Palmer Clare , Svard Heta , Karjalainen Maija , Janhunen Sanna K. , Tricklebank Mark , Bannerman David M.
Published: January 2015

Adult rats exposed to methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) at embryonic day 17 (E17) display robust pathological alterations in the hippocampus. However, discrepancies exist in the literature regarding the behavioural effects of this pre-natal manipulation. Therefore, a systematic assessment of MAM E17-induced behavioural alterations was conducted using a battery of dorsal and ventral hippocampus-dependent tests. Compared to saline controls, MAM E17-treated rats displayed deficits in spatial reference memory in both the aversive hidden platform watermaze task and an appetitive Y-maze task. Deficits in the spatial reference memory watermaze task were replicated across three different cohorts and two laboratories. In contrast, there was little, or no, effect on the non-spatial, visible platform watermaze task or an appetitive, non-spatial, visual discrimination task, respectively. MAM rats were also impaired in the spatial novelty preference task which assesses short-term memory, and displayed reduced anxiety levels in the elevated plus maze task. Thus, MAM E17 administration resulted in abnormal spatial information processing and reduced anxiety in a number of hippocampus-dependent behavioural tests, paralleling the effects of dorsal and ventral hippocampal lesions, respectively. These findings corroborate recent pathological and physiological studies, further highlighting the usefulness of MAM E17 as a model of hippocampal dysfunction in at least some aspects of schizophrenia.
Experimental island invasion of house mice
Authors: Nathan Helen W. , Clout Mick N. , MacKay Jamie W. B. , Murphy Elaine C. , Russell James C.
Published: January 2015

The ability of invasive species to recurrently establish populations from small numbers of founders, while threatened species struggle at the same low population sizes, is a paradox in conservation biology. Little is known about the mechanisms contributing to the post‐arrival success of low density invasive populations as most invasive species research focuses on established, high density populations. Experimental studies are powerful, but generally limited to laboratory or invertebrate experiments. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that vertebrate mammal invasion from a very small (n= 2) number of founders follows relatively simple deterministic predictions. An intentional island invasion of introduced house mice (Mus musculusLinnaeus) from one founding pair closely tracked the density dependent logistic growth curve and reached the seasonal carrying capacity of a previously extant population in only 5 months. Carrying capacity reflected both density dependent and independent processes. In contrast to the previously incumbent population, the invading population retained a marked genetic signal of its recent founder event, but the populations were otherwise demographically indistinguishable. Stochastic events such as individual variability, supplemental immigration and ecological release, but not Allee effects, played important roles during colonisation, but following establishment dynamics rapidly became deterministic, with little demographic impact of reduced genetic diversity. The small population paradigm appears to have little influence on the population dynamics of highly successful invasive species.
Evaluation of transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization: a single surgeon experience
Authors: LaBella G. D. , Main W. P. L. , Hussain L. R.
Published: January 2015

Background

There is an increasing, though still limited, amount of evidence describing the use of the transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) device for the treatment of hemorrhoidal disease. This study assesses postoperative outcomes from a single surgeon experience with the THD device.

Methods

From January 2009 to December 2011, 108 THD procedures were performed. With Doppler guidance, the THD device makes possible precise ligation of the branches of the superior hemorrhoidal artery. Patients were seen postoperatively at 3 weeks and 6 months. They underwent physical examination to determine whether there was recurrence of hemorrhoidal prolapse. They were asked to describe any bleeding, to rate pain using the visual analog scale, and to rate their level of satisfaction on a scale of 1–5 (with 5 = highly satisfied). A phone interview was used for follow-up at 1 year to determine the rate of recurrent prolapse.

Results

Of the 108 patients who underwent THD, two were lost to follow-up and excluded. All of the remaining 106 patients completed follow-up at 3 weeks and 6 months. At 3 weeks, 92 % of patients had no pain and 88 % were highly satisfied with the procedure at 3 weeks. This increased to 92 % satisfaction at 1 year. Prolapse recurrence was 7.5 % at 6 months and 10.3 % at 1 year. Bleeding was the most common complication, but did not require re-intervention or transfusion.

Conclusions

THD is a same-day procedure for the treatment of hemorrhoidal disease that is safe and effective, and offers the potential for immediate return to normal activity.
Surgical Team Mapping: Implications for Staff Allocation and Coordination
Authors: Sykes Mark , Gillespie Brigid M. , Chaboyer Wendy , Kang Evelyn
Published: January 2015

Perioperative team membership consistency is not well researched despite being essential in reducing patient harm. We describe perioperative team membership and staffing across four surgical specialties in an Australian hospital. We analyzed staffing and case data using social network analysis, descriptive statistics, and bivariate correlations and mapped 100 surgical procedures with 171 staff members who were shared across four surgical teams, including 103 (60.2%) nurses. Eighteen of 171 (10.5%) staff members were regularly shared across teams, including 12 nurses, five anesthetists, and one registrar. We found weak but significant correlations between the number of staff (P < .001), procedure start time (P < .001), length of procedure (P < .05), and patient acuity (P < .001). Using mapping, personnel can be identified who may informally influence multiple team cultures, and nurses (ie, the majority of team members in surgery) can lead the development of highly functioning surgical teams.
Guideline Implementation: Surgical Attire
Authors: Cowperthwaite Liz , Holm Rebecca L.
Published: January 2015

Surgical attire helps protect patients from microorganisms that may be shed from the hair and skin of perioperative personnel. The updated AORN “Guideline for surgical attire” provides guidance on scrub attire, shoes, head coverings, and masks worn in the semirestricted and restricted areas of the perioperative setting, as well as how to handle personal items (eg, jewelry, backpacks, cell phones) that may be taken into the perioperative suite. This article focuses on key points of the guideline to help perioperative personnel adhere to facility policies and regulatory requirements for attire. The key points address the potential benefits of wearing scrub attire made of antimicrobial fabric, covering the arms when in the restricted area of the surgical suite, removing or confining jewelry when wearing scrub attire, disinfecting personal items that will be taken into the perioperative suite, and sending reusable attire to a health care–accredited laundry facility after use. Perioperative RNs should review the complete guideline for additional information and for guidance when writing and updating policies and procedures.
The effects of atomoxetine on emotional control in adults with ADHD: An integrated analysis of multicenter studies
Authors: Asherson P. , Stes S. , Nilsson Markhed M. , Berggren L. , Svanborg P. , Kutzelnigg A. , Deberdt W.
Published: January 2015

Purpose:

To investigate the effects of atomoxetine on emotional control in adults with ADHD.

Methods:

We performed an integrated analysis using individual patient data pooled from three Eli Lilly-sponsored studies. An integrated analysis can be viewed as a meta-analysis of individual patient-level data, rather than study-level summary data.

Results:

Two populations were identified: a large sample of patients with pre-treatment baseline data (the “overall population”; n = 2846); and a subset of these patients with placebo-controlled efficacy data from baseline to 10 or 12 weeks after initiating treatment (the “placebo-controlled population”; n = 829). At baseline, in the overall population, ∼50% of ADHD patients had BRIEF-AS (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version Self-Report) Emotional control subscores between 21 and 30, compared with ∼10% of normative subjects in the BRIEF-A manual. At endpoint, in the placebo-controlled population, atomoxetine led to a small (effect size 0.19) but significant (P = 0.013) treatment effect for emotional control. The effect size was 0.32 in patients with BRIEF-AS Emotional control scores > 20 at baseline. Improvements in emotional control correlated with improvements in the core ADHD symptoms and quality-of-life.

Discussion:

As deficient emotional control is associated with impaired social, educational and occupational functioning over and above that explained by core ADHD symptoms alone, improvements in emotional control may be clinically relevant.

Conclusion:

At baseline, adults with ADHD were more likely to have impaired emotional control than normative subjects. In the adult ADHD patients, atomoxetine treatment was associated with improvements in emotional control, as well as in core ADHD symptoms and quality-of-life.
Sexual differences in long‐term effects of prenatal chronic mild stress on anxiety‐like behavior and stress‐induced regional glutamate receptor expression in rat offspring
Authors: Wang Yan , Ma Yuchao , Cheng Wenwen , Jiang Han , Zhang Xinxin , Li Min , Ren Jintao , Zhang Xiaosong , Li Xiaobai
Published: January 2015

Severe adverse life events during pregnancy may increase the risk of anxiety disorders in the offspring. Glutamate receptors are neurobiological targets in anxiety disorders. In this study, we investigated the effects of prenatal chronic mild stress (PCMS) on anxiety‐like behavior by using elevated plus maze (EPM), and evaluated the effects of PCMS and/or anxiogenic challenge on glutamate receptors in different brain regions. Our results showed that PCMS increased anxiety‐like behavior in both male and female offspring. Moreover, compared with the male naïve rats, male EPM rats showed a significant reduction of mGluR2/3 in the prefrontal cortex, mGluR1 and mGluR2/3 in the hippocampus, and increments of mGluR5, NR1, NR2B and PSD95 in the amygdala. In contrast, compared with female naïve rats, female EPM rats showed decreased levels of mGluR5 in the hippocampus, and mGluR2/3 and mGluR5 in the prefrontal cortex, and increased levels of NR2B and PSD95 in the amygdala. Furthermore, PCMS seemed not to affect the baseline expression of glutamate receptors in adult offspring, but induced significant alterations of them triggered by anxiogenic challenge with a sex difference. These data strengthen the pathophysiological hypothesis that prenatal stress as a risk factor involves in the development of anxiety disorder in the offspring.
Diagnostic difficulty in Peutz–Jeghers syndrome
Authors: Loureiro Jenifer , Menegazzo Gian Luigi , Vergamini Lucas , Pestana Roberto Carmagnani , Formiga Fernanda Bellotti , de Sousa Marcella Guilherme Carolino , Takahashi Thais Yuka , Silveira Felipe , Candelária Paulo de Azeredo Passos , Filho Dino Martini , Bin Fang Chia
Published: January 2015

A case of diagnostic difficulty facing the patient with colonic polyposis secondary to Peutz–Jeghers syndrome, but without family history and pathognomonic clinical features of the disease, is illustrated. The exams, including biopsy, led to diagnostic uncertainty and the definitive diagnosis was characterized in therapeutic of exception.
Music is Beneficial for Awake Craniotomy Patients: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Jadavji-Mithani Radhika , Venkatraghavan Lashmi , Bernstein Mark
Published: January 2015

Objectives:Patients undergoing awake craniotomy may experience high levels of stress. Minimizing anxiety benefits patients and surgeons. Music has many therapeutic effects in altering human mood and emotion. Tonality of music as conveyed by composition in major or minor keys can have an impact on patients’ emotions and thoughts. Assessing the effects of listening to major and minor key musical pieces on patients undergoing awake craniotiomy could help in the design of interventions to alleviate anxiety, stress and tension.Methods:Twenty-nine patients who were undergoing awake craniotomy were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups: Group 1 subjects listened to major key music and Group 2 listened to minor key compositions. Subjects completed a demographics questionnaire, a pre- and post-operative Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and a semi-structured open-ended interview. Results were analyzed using modified thematic analysis through open and axial coding.Results:Overall, patients enjoyed the music regardless of the key distinctions and stated they benefitted from listening to the music. No adverse reactions to the music were found. Subjects remarked that the music made them feel more at ease and less anxious before, during and after their procedure. Patients preferred either major key or minor key music but not a combination of both. Those who preferred major key pieces said it was on the basis of tonality while the individuals who selected minor key pieces stated that tempo of the music was the primary factor.Conclusion:Overall, listening to music selections was beneficial for the patients. Future work should further investigate the effects of audio interventions in awake surgery through narrative means.
A Theory of Competitive Partisan Lawmaking
Authors: Krehbiel Keith , Meirowitz Adam , Wiseman Alan E.
Published: January 2015

Motivated by polar extremes of monopartisanship and nonpartisanship in existing literature on parties in legislatures, we introduce and analyze a more moderate theory ofcompetitivepartisan lawmaking. The distinguishing feature of competitive partisanship is that the minority party, although disadvantaged, has some guaranteed opportunities to influence lawmaking. Our analytic framework focuses on two dimensions of parties in legislatures:agenda-based competition, operationalized as a minority party right to make an amendment to the majority party’s proposal, andresource-based competition, characterized as the ability of both party leaders to use transferable resources when building winning or blocking coalitions. Building on the canonical model, we find that giving voice to the minority party in either one of these ways alone results in outcomes that, on the whole, are less lopsided and more moderate than those predicted by the existing monopartisan and nonpartisan theories.
On Judicial Review in a Separation of Powers System
Authors: Dragu Tiberiu , Board Oliver
Published: January 2015

The institution of judicial review is an important mechanism of holding the government legally accountable, nevertheless questions remain about its proper role in a separation of powers system. This article analyzes the effect of judicial review on the policy-making process from an expertise perspective. It shows that the exercise of non-expert judicial review can induce more informed policies and that non-expert courts have incentives to exercise judicial review in a manner consistent with institutional concerns for expertise. In addition to its importance as a mechanism of legal accountability, our analysis underscores another virtue of judicial review: legal review of governmental policy by non-expert courts can improve the amount of information available for policy making. The article contributes to a literature on the scope and legitimacy of judicial review and has broader implications for understanding the effect of institutional checks and balances on the quality of policy making.
Japanese Theatre after Fukushima: Okada Toshiki's Current Location
Authors: Iwaki Kyoko
Published: January 2015

Due to the lingering aftermath of a nuclear catastrophe being mostly out of sight, the peripheral victims of the Fukushima disaster were no longer able to discern the boundary between the here of the safety zone and the there of the afflicted area. What ensued after this geographical unification was psychological unity in which the harmony-conscious ethics of the Japanese were excessively fortified, formulating what is often called the code of wa (harmonious integration), which implicitly coerced all to speak from hisaisha no tachiba (the standpoint of the afflicted people). Kyoko Iwaki, a doctoral student at Goldsmiths, University of London, after fourteen years as a theatre journalist in Japan, provides in this article a socio-psychological analysis on how the code of wa materialized as the unwritten law after the catastrophe, and argues how in Current Location (Genzaichi), playwright-director Okada Toshiki grapples with this code by developing a post-Fukushima aesthetic. By pertinently using the apparatus of ‘fiction’ as a guise for relieving the audience of the code, Okada develops a theatre language that voices discord in content, yet accord in form, permitting the characters to speak both from the here and the there.
Differences in how monolingual and bilingual children learn second labels for familiar objects
Authors: ROWE LINDSEY , JACOBSON REBECCA , SAYLOR MEGAN M.
Published: January 2015

Monolingual children sometimes resist learning second labels for familiar objects. One explanation is that they are guided by word learning constraints that lead to the assumption that objects have only one name. It is less clear whether bilingual children observe this constraint. In the current study, we test the hypothesis that bilingual children might be more willing to accept second labels for objects and ask how they are affected by different amounts of information relevant to the second label. Although monolingual and bilingual children benefited from increased levels of information, only bilingual children chose the referent at above chance levels when they were offered increased levels of information. They were also more likely than monolingual children to accept second labels. Differences emerged even when English language vocabulary size was controlled for in the analyses.
An assessment of the human health impact of seven leading foodborne pathogens in the United States using disability adjusted life years
Authors: SCALLAN E. , HOEKSTRA R. M. , MAHON B. E. , JONES T. F. , GRIFFIN P. M.
Published: January 2015

We explored the overall impact of foodborne disease caused by seven leading foodborne pathogens in the United States using the disability adjusted life year (DALY). We defined health states for each pathogen (acute illness and sequelae) and estimated the average annual incidence of each health state using data from public health surveillance and previously published estimates from studies in the United States, Canada and Europe. These pathogens caused about 112 000 DALYs annually due to foodborne illnesses acquired in the United States. Non-typhoidal Salmonella (32 900) and Toxoplasma (32 700) caused the most DALYs, followed by Campylobacter (22 500), norovirus (9900), Listeria monocytogenes (8800), Clostridium perfringens (4000), and Escherichia coli O157 (1200). These estimates can be used to prioritize food safety interventions. Future estimates of the burden of foodborne disease in DALYs would be improved by addressing important data gaps and by the development and validation of US-specific disability weights for foodborne diseases.
The Discovery of a Higgs Particle at the Large Hadron Collider
Authors: Nisati Aleandro
Published: January 2015

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is the highest energy machine for particle physics research ever built. In the years 2010–2012 this accelerator has collided protons to a centre-mass-energy up to 8 TeV (note that 1 TeV corresponds to the energy of about 1000 protons at rest; the mass of one proton is about 1.67×10–24 g). The events delivered by the LHC have been collected and analysed by four apparatuses placed alongside this machine. The search for the Higgs boson predicted by the Standard Model and the search for new particles and fields beyond this theory represent the most important points of the scientific programme of the LHC. In July 2012, the international collaborations ATLAS and CMS, consisting of more than 3000 physicists, announced the discovery of a new neutral particle with a mass of about 125 GeV, whose physics properties are compatible, within present experimental and theoretical uncertainties, to the Higgs boson predicted by the Standard Model. This discovery represents a major milestone for particle physics, since it indicates that the hypothesized Higgs mechanism seems to be responsible for the masses of elementary particles, in particular W± and Z0 bosons, as well as fermions (leptons and quarks). The 2013 Physics Nobel Prize has been assigned to F. Englert and P. Higgs, ‘for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles, and which recently was confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle, by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider’.
How Tarski Defined the Undefinable
Authors: Cieśliński Cezary
Published: January 2015

This paper describes Tarski’s project of rehabilitating the notion of truth, previously considered dubious by many philosophers. The project was realized by providing a formal truth definition, which does not employ any problematic concept.
Submission, Defiance, and the Rules of Politics on the Mamluk Sultanate's Anatolian Frontier
Authors: WING PATRICK
Published: January 2015

This article examines the relationship between the leader of the Aqquyunlu Turkman confederation, ‘Uthmān Beg Qarā Yulūk, and the Mamluk Sultanate, with an eye to the ways in which the Mamluks sought to define the limits of sultanic sovereignty on the frontier, as well as the ways in which Qarā Yulūk sought to pursue his own interests and those of his tribal followers within the framework of the Mamluk political order. What becomes apparent is that while the interests of the Turkmans ultimately clashed with those of the Mamluk sultans on the Anatolian frontier, both Qarā Yulūk and the Mamluks shared a common interest in maintaining a relationship in which formal recognition of Aqquyunlu autonomy was exchanged for ritual submission to the sultan.
Correlates of food patterns in young Latino children at high risk of obesity
Authors: Kaiser Lucia L , Aguilera Alberto L , Horowitz Marcel , Lamp Catherine , Johns Margaret , Gomez-Camacho Rosa , Ontai Lenna , de la Torre Adela
Published: January 2015

Objective

The present paper examines the influence of age and gender on food patterns of Latino children.

Design

Data are from baseline of a 5-year, quasi-experimental obesity prevention study:Niños Sanos, Familia Sana(NSFS; Healthy Children, Healthy Families). In 2012, the researchers interviewed Latino parents, using a thirty-item questionnaire to ask about their children’s food consumption and feeding practices. Statistical tests includedttests and ANCOVA.

Setting

Rural communities in California’s Central Valley, USA.

Subjects

Two hundred and seventeen parents (87–89 % born in Mexico) and their children (aged 2–8 years).

Results

Fifty-one per cent of the children were overweight or obese (≥85th percentile of BMI for age and gender). Mean BMIZ-scores were not significantly different in boys (1·10 (sd1·07)) and girls (0·92 (sd1·04);P=0·12). In bivariate analysis, children aged 2–4 years consumed fast and convenience foods less often (P=0·04) and WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children)-allowable foods more often than children aged 5–8 years (P=0·01). In ANCOVA, neither age nor gender was significantly related to food patterns. Mother’s acculturation level was positively related to children’s consumption of fast and convenience foods (P=0·0002) and negatively related to consumption of WIC foods (P=0·01). Providing role modelling and structure in scheduling meals and snacks had a positive effect on the vegetable pattern (P=0·0007), whereas meal skipping was associated with more frequent fast and convenience food consumption (P=0·04).

Conclusions

Acculturation and child feeding practices jointly influence food patterns in Latino immigrant children and indicate a need for interventions that maintain diet quality as children transition to school.
The brave new world of older patients: preparing general practice training for an ageing population
Authors: Bonney Andrew , Phillipson Lyn , Jones Sandra C. , Hall Julie , Sharma Rashmi
Published: January 2015

Aim

Develop and pilot test evidence-based resources for general practice training practices to enhance older patients’ (65+ years) interactions with General Practice Registrars (GPRs).

Background

In Australia, general practice trainees, referred to as GPRs, see fewer older patients and patients with chronic conditions than doctors who have completed their specialist GP training. This reduces learning opportunities for GPRs in the management of these important patient groups. Therefore, developing effective strategies to improve GPR–older patient interaction is critical to primary care training, to meet the current and future needs of an ageing population.

Methods

Adopting a social marketing approach, GPR practice resources were developed to address knowledge and attitudinal barriers at the practice and patient level to improve older patient comfort, and willingness to engage, with GPR care. Two focus groups with older patients (n=18) and interviews with staff of training practices (n=12) were utilised to pre-test resources. Amended resources were pilot tested and evaluated in a naturalistic GPR training practice setting using a structured patient questionnaire (n=44).

Findings

Pilot evaluation suggests improved comfort and willingness of older patients to interact with GPRs. In all, 54% of survey participants indicated they would be more likely to make an appointment with a Registrar in the future as a result of exposure to the resources. In all, 40% of patients would feel comfortable having a GPR manage a complex or chronic condition, which compares favourably with 28% of similarly aged patients in previous research. The use of tailored, engaging and informative GPR resources for older patients and practice staff may be an important contributor to addressing the growing problem of ensuring GPRs are adequately engaged in treating older patients. The adoption of a social marketing framework was instrumental in enhancing the acceptance and effectiveness of this intervention.
Economic and financial approaches to valuing pension liabilities
Authors: NOVY-MARX ROBERT
Published: January 2015

Financial economics holds that payment streams should be valued using discount rates that reflect the cash flows’ risks. In the case of pension liabilities, the appropriate discount rate for a pension fund's liabilities is the expected rate of return on a portfolio that would be held under a liability-driven investment policy. The valuation of defined benefit pension obligations involves choices revolving around deciding: (1) what future benefit payments to recognize today (i.e., which liability concept to use); and (2) from whose point of view to value the liabilities. Moving towards modeling, the distribution of future liabilities using a ‘risk-neutral’ framework, would allow for calculating the present value of the future liabilities more accurately. This would provide policymakers with information more relevant for the decision-making, and it would also permit easier communication of the risks facing the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's PIMS model via a single univariate statistic.
The conundrum of unconstitutional constitutional amendments
Authors: YAP PO JEN
Published: January 2015

National courts, largely in South Asia and Latin America, have deemed unconstitutional certain constitutional amendments that have been enacted into law in their respective jurisdictions. In the article, this author explores the normative arguments for and against the judicial enforcement of implicit substantive constraints on formal constitutional changes. In essence, the author argues that, in determining whether judges should render the substance of constitutional amendments unconstitutional, one must examine how the impugned constitutional amendment was passed. In jurisdictions where a constitutional amendment can be passed by a dominant party/coalition without bipartisan support or the general support of the people, the courts may intervene, but only where the constitutional amendment(s) in question is/are so manifestly unreasonable that such a revision is akin to a substantial destruction of the pre-existing constitution. But no constitutional amendment should ever be judicially invalidated for violating any implied ‘basic features’ of the constitution when the amendment process is particularly cumbersome and requires significant bipartisan support and the general public’s express or implicit endorsement for the amendment to pass.
Diversity and cosmopolitan democracy: Avoiding global democratic relativism
Authors: CABRERA LUIS
Published: January 2015

Many recent arguments for trans-state and global democracy would offer broad leeway on constitutionalized right standards to states, and few formal mechanisms for individuals to challenge domestic rights rejections beyond the state. Such a stance, it is shown here, tends to be rooted in implicit presumptions of domestic consensus. Challenges are offered to this and related presumptions in accounts of cosmopolitan democracy, as well as global variants of liberal nationalism and political liberalism. An alternative, primarily instrumental approach to trans-state and global democracy is detailed. It would give emphasis to ways in which formal suprastate participation, complemented by challenge mechanisms for individuals, could play a crucial role in helping to strengthen individual rights protections within states. The case for adopting such an approach is reinforced through attention to the efforts of a persistent domestic democratic minority – Dalits in India – to reach out to the global human rights regime for help in pressuring their own state to better protect rights against exclusion and subjugation.
Die standardisierte Fremdeinschätzung von Schmerzen bei bewusstseinsbeeinträchtigten Patienten mit dem Zurich Observation Pain Assessment (ZOPA©) auf einer neurochirurgischen Intensivstation – Eine Fallstudie
Authors: Maier Jürgen , Fröhlich Martin R. , Spirig Rebecca
Published: January 2015

Hintergrund: Aus internationalen Studien geht hervor, dass ein Großteil der Patienten Aus Gründen der besseren Lesbarkeit wird im Text ausschließlich die männliche Form verwendet. Dies schließt die weibliche Form mit ein., die auf Intensivstationen behandelt werden, moderate bis starke Schmerzen beschreibt. Erwiesen ist auch, dass nicht erkannte und ungenügend therapierte Schmerzen schwere körperliche und seelische Belastungen hervorrufen können. Eines der wichtigsten Therapieziele im Intensivbereich ist deshalb das frühzeitige und sichere Erkennen von Schmerzen, was bei stark bewusstseinsbeeinträchtigten Patienten eine große Herausforderung darstellt. Ziel: Das Ziel dieser Studie ist es, aufzuzeigen, wie mit einer standardisierten Fremdeinschätzung von Schmerzen mit dem Zurich Observation Pain Assessment (ZOPA©) diese Lücke geschlossen werden kann. Methode: Anhand einer theoriegeleiteten interpretativen Fallstudie wird der Einsatz von ZOPA© in der Praxis und dessen Einfluss auf das Schmerzmanagement beschrieben. Ergebnisse: Insgesamt wurden 126 Einzelerfassungen bei einer Intensivpatientin mit einer schweren Subarachnoidalblutung analysiert, wovon 19 Erfassungen auf Schmerz hinweisende Verhaltensmerkmale zeigten. In drei Vierteln dieser Fälle wurden umgehend schmerzlindernde Maßnahmen eingeleitet. Auf der betreffenden Intensivstation wird ZOPA© seit fünf Jahren angewandt, neben der analgetischen Basismedikation sind zusätzliche Analgetika als Bedarfsmedikation verordnet, was Pflegenden den Freiraum lässt, ihre Verantwortung im Schmerzmanagement wahrzunehmen. Schlussfolgerung: Die Fallstudie zeigt, dass sich ZOPA© als geeignetes Fremdeinschätzungsinstrument erweist, anhand dessen Schmerzen frühzeitig erkannt und behandelt bzw. Schmerzsituationen vermieden werden könnten.
Sense of Coherence und Konsum psychoaktiver Substanzen bei Jugendlichen
Authors: Wippermann Christina E. M. , Grevenstein Dennis , Nagy Ede , Neubert Jonas C. , Verres Rolf , Kröninger-Jungaberle Henrik
Published: January 2015

Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht die Entwicklung des Sense of Coherence (SOC) sensu Antonovsky an einer Stichprobe von 318 Jugendlichen mithilfe von General Growth Mixture Modeling längsschnittlich vom 14. bis zum 24. Lebensjahr. Geprüft werden Zusammenhänge zwischen dem SOC-Entwicklungsverlauf und dem Konsum von Tabak, Alkohol und Cannabis, sowie der Lebenszufriedenheit, Leistungszufriedenheit, sportlichen Aktivität und soziodemographischen Variablen. Es lassen sich drei Entwicklungsverläufe differenzieren, die sich im Ausgangsniveau unterscheiden, aber im Zeitverlauf stabil bleiben. Weibliche Teilnehmende hatten eine höhere Wahrscheinlichkeit der Gruppe mit dem im Verlauf höchsten SOC zuzugehören. Personen mit höchstem SOC konsumierten am wenigsten Alkohol, Tabak und Cannabis sowohl im Jugendalter als auch im jungen Erwachsenenalter. Personen mit niedrigstem SOC konsumierten nicht nur häufiger, sondern auch eher problematischer. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass der SOC bereits im frühen Jugendalter relativ stabil ist und bei der Vorhersage des Substanzkonsums im Jugendalter und im jungen Erwachsenenalter eine Rolle spielt.
Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN) and P300 Are Sensitive to Temporal-Order Violation in Transitive Action Representation
Authors: Balconi Michela , Canavesio Ylenia
Published: January 2015

Coherent representation of action sequences implies that the logical temporal order of each action can be correctly represented. Violation of this logical order may induce a sort of expectancies disruption of the temporal structure. Thus the present study explored the event-related potential (ERP) effect related to the cortical response to this violation. Action sequence composed by four frames with final congruous or incongruous endings was submitted to 28 subjects. Two distinct ERP effects, feedback-related negativity (FRN), and P300, were found in response to incongruous endings, with also significant increased RTs. The functional significance of these two ERP deflections was related respectively to the perception of an erroneous action outcome as the ending of an illogical sequence (FRN) and to the necessity to updating the relationship action-context by changing the cognitive model which supports the cognitive expectancies (P300). The significant correlation between the RTs and the ERP measures, especially in case of FRN effect, supported this interpretation. Indeed increased cognitive costs are supposed in case of expectancies violations which require further processes of reanalysis of the coherence between the action and the background (the temporal background) where the action was produced. Two different cortical localizations were found for FRN and P300, respectively a more fronto-central (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) and posterior (superior temporal gyrus) site. The significance of these results for the temporal order effect for action comprehension was discussed.
Psychophysiological Responses During the Anticipation of Emotional Pictures
Authors: Schumacher Sonja , Herwig Uwe , Baur Volker , Mueller-Pfeiffer Christoph , Martin-Soelch Chantal , Rufer Michael , Brühl Annette B.
Published: January 2015

The present study sought to investigate peripheral physiological responses to the anticipation of explicitly and ambiguously cued emotional pictures. Emotionally positive and negative as well as neutral pictures were presented to 32 healthy subjects. At the beginning of an anticipation period they were cued about the valence of the upcoming picture (neutral, positive, negative, or ambiguous). Skin conductance, heart rate, and zygomaticus and corrugator electromyogram responses were measured during anticipation and perception. Responses specific to the emotional conditions were observed during anticipation as well as during perception. During the anticipation of ambiguously cued pictures, responses were similar to responses elicited by anticipating negative pictures. In line with results from brain imaging studies, peripheral physiological responses could be interpreted to reflect a negative bias for ambiguous events.
A multitrophic model to quantify the effects of marine viruses on microbial food webs and ecosystem processes
Authors: Weitz Joshua S , Stock Charles A , Wilhelm Steven W , Bourouiba Lydia , Coleman Maureen L , Buchan Alison , Follows Michael J , Fuhrman Jed A , Jover Luis F , Lennon Jay T , Middelboe Mathias , Sonderegger Derek L , Suttle Curtis A , Taylor Bradford P , Frede Thingstad T , Wilson William H , Eric Wommack K
Published: January 2015

Viral lysis of microbial hosts releases organic matter that can then be assimilated by nontargeted microorganisms. Quantitative estimates of virus-mediated recycling of carbon in marine waters, first established in the late 1990s, were originally extrapolated from marine host and virus densities, host carbon content and inferred viral lysis rates. Yet, these estimates did not explicitly incorporate the cascade of complex feedbacks associated with virus-mediated lysis. To evaluate the role of viruses in shaping community structure and ecosystem functioning, we extend dynamic multitrophic ecosystem models to include a virus component, specifically parameterized for processes taking place in the ocean euphotic zone. Crucially, we are able to solve this model analytically, facilitating evaluation of model behavior under many alternative parameterizations. Analyses reveal that the addition of a virus component promotes the emergence of complex communities. In addition, biomass partitioning of the emergent multitrophic community is consistent with well-established empirical norms in the surface oceans. At steady state, ecosystem fluxes can be probed to characterize the effects that viruses have when compared with putative marine surface ecosystems without viruses. The model suggests that ecosystems with viruses will have (1) increased organic matter recycling, (2) reduced transfer to higher trophic levels and (3) increased net primary productivity. These model findings support hypotheses that viruses can have significant stimulatory effects across whole-ecosystem scales. We suggest that existing efforts to predict carbon and nutrient cycling without considering virus effects are likely to miss essential features of marine food webs that regulate global biogeochemical cycles.
An oncogenic role of Agrin in regulating focal adhesion integrity in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Chakraborty Sayan , Lakshmanan Manikandan , Swa Hannah L.F. , Chen Jianxiang , Zhang Xiaoqian , Ong Yan Shan , Loo Li Shen , Akıncılar Semih Can , Gunaratne Jayantha , Tergaonkar Vinay , Hui Kam M. , Hong Wanjin
Published: January 2015

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally. The identity and role of cell surface molecules driving complex biological events leading to HCC progression are poorly understood, hence representing major lacunae in HCC therapies. Here, combining SILAC quantitative proteomics and biochemical approaches, we uncover a critical oncogenic role of Agrin, which is overexpressed and secreted in HCC. Agrin enhances cellular proliferation, migration and oncogenic signalling. Mechanistically, Agrin’s extracellular matrix sensor activity provides oncogenic cues to regulate Arp2/3-dependent ruffling, invadopodia formation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition through sustained focal adhesion integrity that drives liver tumorigenesis. Furthermore, Agrin signalling through Lrp4-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) forms a critical oncogenic axis. Importantly, antibodies targeting Agrin reduced oncogenic signalling and tumour growth in vivo. Together, we demonstrate that Agrin is frequently upregulated and important for oncogenic property of HCC, and is an attractive target for antibody therapy.
A nutritionally-enhanced oil from transgenic Camelina sativa effectively replaces fish oil as a source of eicosapentaenoic acid for fish
Authors: Betancor M. B. , Sprague M. , Usher S. , Sayanova O. , Campbell P. J. , Napier J. A. , Tocher D. R.
Published: January 2015

For humans a daily intake of up to 500 mg omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) is recommended, amounting to an annual requirement of 1.25 million metric tonnes (mt) for a population of 7 billion people. The annual global supply of n-3 LC-PUFA cannot meet this level of requirement and so there is a large gap between supply and demand. The dietary source of n-3 LC-PUFA, fish and seafood, is increasingly provided by aquaculture but using fish oil in feeds to supply n-3 LC-PUFA is unsustainable. Therefore, new sources of n-3 LC-PUFA are required to supply the demand from aquaculture and direct human consumption. One approach is metabolically engineering oilseed crops to synthesize n-3 LC-PUFA in seeds. TransgenicCamelina sativaexpressing algal genes was used to produce an oil containing n-3 LC-PUFA to replace fish oil in salmon feeds. The oil had no detrimental effects on fish performance, metabolic responses or the nutritional quality of the fillets of the farmed fish.