bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding Orgasmic Difficulty in Women
Authors: Rowland David L. , Kolba Tiffany N.
Published: June 2016

Introduction

Women's primary issue with the orgasmic phase is usually difficulty reaching orgasm.

Aims

To identify predictors of orgasmic difficulty in women within the context of a partnered sexual experience; to assess the relation between orgasmic difficulty and self-reported levels of sexual desire or interest and arousal in women; and to assess the interrelations among three dimensions of orgasmic response during partnered sex: self-reported time to reach orgasm, general difficulty or ease of reaching orgasm, and level of distress or concern.

Methods

Drawing from a community-based sample using the Internet, 866 women were queried on a 26-item survey regarding their difficulty reaching orgasm during partnered sex. Four hundred sixteen women who indicated difficulty also responded to items assessing arousal and desire difficulties, level of distress about their condition, and their estimated time to reach orgasm.

Main Outcome Measures

Answers to a 26-item survey on surveyed women's difficulty reaching orgasm during partnered sex.

Results

Age, arousal difficulty, and lubrication difficulty predicted difficulty reaching orgasm in the overall sample. In the subsample of women reporting difficulty, approximately half reported issues with arousal. Women with arousal problems reported greater difficulty reaching orgasm but did not differ from those without arousal problems on measurements of orgasm latency or levels of distress. Slightly more than half the women experiencing difficulty reaching orgasm were distressed by their condition; distressed women reported greater difficulty reaching orgasm and longer latencies to orgasm than non-distressed counterparts. They also reported lower satisfaction with their sexual relationship.

Conclusion

This study indicates the importance of assessing multiple parameters when investigating orgasmic problems in women, including arousal issues, levels of distress, and latency to orgasm. Results also clarify that women with arousal problems do not differ substantially from those without arousal problems; in contrast, women distressed by their condition differ from non-distressed women along some critical dimensions. Although orgasmic problems decreased with age, the overall relation of this variable to distress, arousal, and latency to orgasm was essentially unchanged across age groups.
Demystifying Poststroke Pain: From Etiology to Treatment
Authors: Treister Andrew K. , Hatch Maya N. , Cramer Steven C. , Chang Eric Y.
Published: June 2016

Pain after stroke is commonly reported but often incompletely managed, which prevents optimal recovery. This situation occurs in part because of the esoteric nature of poststroke pain and its limited presence in current discussions of stroke management. The major specific afflictions that affect patients with stroke who experience pain include central poststroke pain, complex regional pain syndrome, and pain associated with spasticity and shoulder subluxation. Each disorder carries its own intricacies that require specific approaches to treatment and understanding. This review aims to present and clarify the major pain syndromes that affect patients who have experienced a stroke in order to aid in their diagnosis and treatment.
Transforaminal Epidural Blood Patches for the Treatment of Postsurgical Dural Leaks: Two Case Reports
Authors: Goodman Bradly , Vallabhaneni Sridhar , Cubitt Bradley , Mallempati Srinivas
Published: June 2016

Unintended dural punctures with leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are recognized as a frequent complication of spinal surgery. Although conservative or invasive options may be used to treat postoperative CSF leaks, the existing literature does not define either an algorithmic treatment approach or a universally accepted standard of care. We believe that a transforaminal epidural blood patch (EBP) can serve as a minimally invasive, cost‐effective option to treat postsurgical CSF leaks that do not resolve with conservative management. We have performed an EBP via the transforaminal route to treat postsurgical CSF leaks in both the cervical and lumbar spine. The first case describes a patient who underwent an anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion with a complication of profuse CSF leakage. The application of a cervical transforaminal EBP at the levels of surgical repair was effective in stopping the dural leak. The second case involves a patient who experienced classic positional spinal headaches after a lumbar hemilaminectomy and diskectomy. After utilization of lumbar transforaminal EBPs, his symptoms revolved. This article presents the potential use of an EBP via the transforaminal route to treat postsurgical dural leaks in both the cervical and lumbar region.

Level of Evidence

V
Ultrasonographic Evaluation and Feasibility of Posterosuperior Internal Impingement Syndrome: A Case Series
Authors: Do Hyun‐Kyung , Lim Jae‐Young
Published: June 2016

Posterosuperior impingement (PSI) is an underdiagnosed cause of posterior shoulder pain and should be differentiated from classic and external impingement. PSI involves the internal impingement of soft tissues, including the undersurface of the rotator cuff against the posterosuperior labrum when the arm is brought into abduction and external rotation (ABER). Ultrasonography (US) can be useful in the assessment of PSI because of its high resolution and ability to perform during dynamic maneuvers in ABER. This series of 3 cases illustrates the feasibility of US in the evaluation of PSI when the history and physical examination implicate this condition.

Level of Evidence

V
Psychosis Following an Increase in Intrathecal Baclofen
Authors: Maneyapanda Mithra B. , Driver Sangeeta Patel , Ripley David L. , Lloyd Robert , Brkic Nenad
Published: June 2016

Baclofen is a commonly used medication to treat spasticity in neurologic disorders. In the traumatic brain injury (TBI) population, the intrathecal administration of baclofen is often preferred over oral administration due to cognitive side effects. Here we report on a case of a psychotic episode following an increase in intrathecal baclofen in a young man with a history of a TBI. Although intrathecal baclofen is commonly used and is generally well tolerated, this case highlights an important potential effect of intrathecal baclofen that has rarely been reported in the literature.

Level of Evidence

V
The Judicialization of Politics in Taiwan
Authors: LIN Chien-Chih
Published: June 2016

The judicialization of politics in Taiwan is particularly evident in three domains: the expansion of judicial power, a shift in political equilibrium, and litigation for social change. Yet it is not altogether clear why politicians and social groups are willing to transfer decision-making powers from the political branches to the judiciary, particularly the Constitutional Court. This paper endeavours to fill this academic lacuna by suggesting that the judicialization of politics occurs in Taiwan because both politicians and citizens choose the judiciary as another agent to implement their preferred policies. Nevertheless, Taiwan does not become a juristocracy and, indeed, the pace of the judicialization has slowed down since the second party turnover. The development of the judicialization of politics in Taiwan may shed new light on many old topics, such as judicial supremacy and the relationship between judicial power and political uncertainty.
Taylor–Couette turbulence at radius ratio : scaling, flow structures and plumes
Authors: van der Veen Roeland C. A. , Huisman Sander G. , Merbold Sebastian , Harlander Uwe , Egbers Christoph , Lohse Detlef , Sun Chao
Published: June 2016

Using high-resolution particle image velocimetry, we measure velocity profiles, the wind Reynolds number and characteristics of turbulent plumes in Taylor–Couette flow for a radius ratio of 0.5 and Taylor number of up to $6.2\times 10^{9}$. The extracted angular velocity profiles follow a log law more closely than the azimuthal velocity profiles due to the strong curvature of this ${\it\eta}=0.5$ set-up. The scaling of the wind Reynolds number with the Taylor number agrees with the theoretically predicted $3/7$ scaling for the classical turbulent regime, which is much more pronounced than for the well-explored ${\it\eta}=0.71$ case, for which the ultimate regime sets in at much lower Taylor number. By measuring at varying axial positions, roll structures are found for counter-rotation while no clear coherent structures are seen for pure inner cylinder rotation. In addition, turbulent plumes coming from the inner and outer cylinders are investigated. For pure inner cylinder rotation, the plumes in the radial velocity move away from the inner cylinder, while the plumes in the azimuthal velocity mainly move away from the outer cylinder. For counter-rotation, the mean radial flow in the roll structures strongly affects the direction and intensity of the turbulent plumes. Furthermore, it is experimentally confirmed that, in regions where plumes are emitted, boundary layer profiles with a logarithmic signature are created.
A Lagrangian study of turbulent mixing: forward and backward dispersion of molecular trajectories in isotropic turbulence
Authors: Buaria D. , Yeung P. K. , Sawford B. L.
Published: June 2016

Statistics of the trajectories of molecules diffusing via Brownian motion in a turbulent flow are extracted from simulations of stationary isotropic turbulence, using a postprocessing approach applicable in both forward and backward reference frames. Detailed results are obtained for Schmidt numbers ($Sc$) from 0.001 to 1000 at Taylor-scale Reynolds numbers up to 1000. The statistics of displacements of single molecules compare well with the earlier theoretical work of Saffman (J. Fluid Mech. vol. 8, 1960, pp. 273–283) except for the scaling of the integral time scale of the fluid velocity following the molecular trajectories. For molecular pairs we extend Saffman’s theory to include pairs of small but finite initial separation, which is in excellent agreement with numerical results provided that data are collected at sufficiently small times. At intermediate times the separation statistics of molecular pairs exhibit a more robust Richardson scaling behaviour than for the fluid particles. The forward scaling constant is very close to 0.55, whereas the backward constant is approximately 1.53–1.57, with a weak Schmidt number dependence, although no scaling exists if $Sc\ll 1$ at the Reynolds numbers presently accessible. An important innovation in this work is to demonstrate explicitly the practical utility of a Lagrangian description of turbulent mixing, where molecular displacements and separations in the limit of small backward initial separation can be used to calculate the evolution of scalar fluctuations resulting from a known source function in space. Lagrangian calculations of the production and dissipation rates of the scalar fluctuations are shown to agree very well with Eulerian results for the case of passive scalars driven by a uniform mean gradient. Although the Eulerian–Lagrangian comparisons are made only for $Sc\sim O(1)$, the Lagrangian approach is more easily extended to both very low and very high Schmidt numbers. The well-known scalar dissipation anomaly is accordingly also addressed in a Lagrangian context.
Lubrication of soft viscoelastic solids
Authors: Pandey Anupam , Karpitschka Stefan , Venner Cornelis H. , Snoeijer Jacco H.
Published: June 2016

Lubrication flows appear in many applications in engineering, biophysics and nature. Separation of surfaces and minimisation of friction and wear is achieved when the lubricating fluid builds up a lift force. In this paper we analyse soft lubricated contacts by treating the solid walls as viscoelastic: soft materials are typically not purely elastic, but dissipate energy under dynamical loading conditions. We present a method for viscoelastic lubrication and focus on three canonical examples, namely Kelvin–Voigt, standard linear and power law rheology. It is shown how the solid viscoelasticity affects the lubrication process when the time scale of loading becomes comparable to the rheological time scale. We derive asymptotic relations between the lift force and the sliding velocity, which give scaling laws that inherit a signature of the rheology. In all cases the lift is found to decrease with respect to purely elastic systems.
APOSTASY THROUGH DOUBT AND DISSENT
Authors: Green M. Christian
Published: June 2016

What if instead of studying religions by texts, history, and practices we studied them by what they fear? I first had this thought in considering philosophical differences between Plato's Republic and Laws. What accounted for the shift from the profound idealism of the Republic to the apparent authoritarianism of the Laws? The standard answer is that Plato was born in a time of troubles, at the tail end of the oligarchic regime of the Thirty Tyrants, who took hold of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian Wars. As recounted in the Apology, it was a regime that was famously and vigorously opposed by Plato's great teacher, Socrates. Socrates is absent from Plato's last dialogue, the Laws, written as an older man, after a stint in prison for having opposed another tyrant. In the Laws, the contemplation of ideal forms in Republic gives way to promulgation of detailed laws to achieve unity, harmony, and a perhaps tenuous peace. Most imperative of all is the need to avoid the chaos of war and tyranny. The philosopher is gone—Plato has lawyered up.
Effects of Tip Mass and Interaction Force on Nonlinear Behavior of Force Modulation FM-AFM Cantilever
Authors: Torkanpouri K. E. , Zohoor H. , Korayem M. H.
Published: June 2016

Influences of the tip mass, excitation mode of Frequency Modulated Atomic Force Microscope (FM-AFM) on the resonance frequency shift in force modulation (FM) mode are studied. Governing equations of motion are determined based on Timoshenko beam model with concentrated end mass. Approach point and base amplitude are set such that the FM-AFM remains just in FM mode. Either the linearized and nonlinear Derjaguin-Muller-Toporov (DMT) model are investigated. Then frequency shifts are determined for various interaction force regimes. It is showed the effect of tip mass on frequency shift is significant even for small tips. Nonlinear model shows lower frequency shifts in comparison with linearized model. It is showed that the amplitude of response is increased by increasing the tip mass and order of base excitation. Deviation of frequency shift between linearized and nonlinear solution are studied. It is declared that the error between linearized and nonlinear model is complicated. A deviation index is used for explaining behavior of error while tip mass and excitation mode are changed. It is showed, this index predicts the trend of error in all excitation modes and force cases. Behavior of system is linearizing by increasing the order of excitation, generally.
Hadrosaurian dinosaurs from the Maastrichtian Javelina Formation, Big Bend National Park, Texas
Authors: Lehman Thomas M. , Wick Steven L. , Wagner Jonathan R.
Published: June 2016

Rare remains of hadrosaurian dinosaurs previously reported from the Maastrichtian Javelina Formation of West Texas had been attributed tentatively to either Edmontosaurus or Kritosaurus. Three recently recovered specimens include substantial skull parts and postcranial skeletal elements sufficient to recognize three distinct hadrosaurs. Two species are found in the lower part of the Javelina Formation; one of these is identified as Kritosaurus sp., confirming the earlier referral of specimens to this taxon. The most complete of these specimens combines features thought to be diagnostic of both K. navajovius Brown, 1910 and ‘Naashoibitosaurus’ ostromi Hunt and Lucas, 1993 and exhibits some unique attributes such that its specific identity remains uncertain. A second species, documented by a single specimen found near the base of the Javelina Formation, is inadequate to confidently identify but appears to represent a ‘solid-crested’ saurolophine with frontals having upturned processes along the midline, similar to those that brace the posterior side of the narial crest in Saurolophus. A third hadrosaur is represented at a bonebed in the uppermost part of the Javelina Formation. Its remains are sufficient to justify designation as a new species ?Gryposaurus alsatei. The skull roof elements are similar to those in species of Gryposaurus, and although no parts of the narial crest are preserved, the bordering elements indicate that ?G. alsatei was a ‘flat-headed’ saurolophine. Referral of ?G. alsatei to Gryposaurus would constitute a significant temporal range extension for the genus into late Maastrichtian time, and if correct, this long-lived lineage of hadrosaurs persisted nearly to the end of Cretaceous time in West Texas. ?G. alsatei was a contemporary of Edmontosaurus, the sole terminal Cretaceous hadrosaur in the northern Great Plains region, and neither possessed the ornate narial crest that characterized many earlier hadrosaurs.
Usage-based approaches to language development: Where do we go from here?
Authors: LIEVEN ELENA
Published: June 2016

abstract

In the usage-based approach to children’s language learning, language is seen as emerging from children’s preverbal communicative and cognitive skills. Children construct more abstract linguistic representations only gradually, and show uneven development in all aspects of their language learning. I will present results that show the relationship between children’s emerging linguistic structures and patterns in the speech addressed to them, and demonstrate the effects played by the consistency of markers, the complexity of the construction in question, and relative type and token frequencies within and across constructions. I highlight the contribution made by research that employs naturalistic, experimental, and modelling methodologies, and that is applied to a range of languages and to variability in the errors that children make. Finally, I will outline the outstanding issues for this approach, and how we might address them.
INTENSIVE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS OF FIG (Ficus carica L.) UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS
Authors: MENDOZA-CASTILLO VICTOR MANUEL , VARGAS-CANALES JUAN MANUEL , CALDERÓN-ZAVALA GUILLERMO , MENDOZA-CASTILLO MARÍA DEL CARMEN , SANTACRUZ-VARELA AMALIO
Published: June 2016

The worldwide cultivation of fig (Ficus carica L.) has achieved great economic importance, mainly, due to its important role as a food supplement. This situation has generated great interest in researching its methods of production, processing and conservation. The objective of this research was to evaluate six intensive production systems of fig in hydroponic and greenhouse conditions. The experimental phase started on November 15, 2010 and was completed in September 2011. Production systems were established by varying the number of productive stems between three and eight in each plant, with densities of 1.25 plants m−2. A completely experimental – randomized design was used with five replications, with a pot and a plant as an experimental unit. The results indicate that the highest yielding of fresh fruit was presented by eight productive stems (109.5 t ha−1), this one outperformed the seven productive stems (94.8 t ha−1) in 13.3% and six productive stems (78.6 t ha−1), at 26.8%. The handling of productive stems allowed an increase in the leaf area index, harvest index and fruit yielding. These results suggest that intensive production in hydroponic and greenhouse conditions of fig is an excellent alternative production, allowing to collect up to 20 times of fresh fruit yielding in relation to the plantations in the open field.
Cenozoic tectonic model of the Bohai Bay Basin in China
Authors: YU FUSHENG , KOYI HEMIN
Published: June 2016

Modelling results and seismic interpretation illustrate that the Cenozoic evolution of the Bohai Bay Basin (BBB) can be divided into different stages. A transtensional phase during Paleocene – early Oligocene time created NE-trending strike-slip faults and E–W-trending normal faults which were driven roughly by N–S–extension, making an angle of 25° with the strike-slip faults. Seismic data interpretation yields evidence that inversion phases occurred within the NE Xialiaohe Depression of the greater Bohai Bay Basin. This inversion phase is attributed to rotation and partial inversion that occurred during late Oligocene time, leading to formation of inversion structures along the NE part of Tanlu Fault. This episode is attributed to an anticlockwise rotation of the eastern part of the BBB driven by the convergence between the Pacific and Eurasian plates. The tectonic scenario described was simulated in scaled analogue models, which were extended by pulling two basement plates away from each other. Partial inversion was simulated by rotation of one of the plates relative to the other. Model results show many of the features observed in the BBB. Our model results are used to argue that, unlike the two-episode extension and whole-basin inversion models previously proposed for the BBB, a single N–S-aligned extension followed by anticlockwise rotation accounts for the Cenozoic evolution of the BBB and produces some of the structural complexities observed in the basin.
Trematode infections of the freshwater snail Biomphalaria pfeifferi from a south-east Nigerian community with emphasis on cercariae of Schistosoma
Authors: Okeke O.C. , Ubachukwu P.O.
Published: June 2016

Knowledge of trematode infections in Biomphalaria pfeifferi from south-eastern Nigeria is scarce, due to the absence of Schistosoma mansoni infection in the region. Therefore, the present study sought to describe trematode infections in B. pfeifferi from the River Uzuru in the Nigeria Cement Factory area, Nkalagu, south-eastern Nigeria. Four hundred and sixty snails were checked for trematode infections, and mice were exposed to the Schistosoma cercariae shed from the snails. Adult worms were harvested from the mice 13 weeks post-infection, while sections of the liver and spleen were examined. Primary school children living in the area were screened for S. mansoni infection and assessed for activities involving water contact. The edges of the river were also searched for burrows and rodents. The five cercaria morphotypes found were armatae xiphidiocercariae, echinocercariae, Schistosoma cercariae, cystophorous cercariae and cercariaeum cercariae. The overall prevalence and mean intensity of trematode infections were 39.78% and 195.46, with the prevalence and mean intensity of most cercaria morphotypes higher in the hot–dry than in the cool–dry season. The infected mice showed S. mansoni-like characteristics but the stool samples of the schoolchildren were negative for S. mansoni eggs. Water-contact activities in the River Uzuru were minimal. Burrows were seen at the river edges but no Schistosoma eggs were recovered from captured rats. This is the first report of Schistosoma cercariae and other cercaria morphotypes in B. pfeifferi from south-eastern Nigeria. Additional molecular investigations are needed to identify correctly these Schistosoma cercariae, due to their public health implication.
Consumption of meat and dairy products in China: a review
Authors: He Yuna , Yang Xiaoguang , Xia Juan , Zhao Liyun , Yang Yuexin
Published: June 2016

The objective of the present paper was to review the consumption status of meat and dairy products among Chinese residents. The research topics included production, consumption and health implications of dairy and meat, and the data sources included reports of national surveys, research papers and data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China. The average intake of meat, especially pork, has continued to increase in China. Pork intake increased from 37·1 g/d in 1992 to 64·3 g/d in 2012. There was a much higher margin in rural regions; pork intake of rural residents increased from 25·0 g/d in 1992 to 59·9 g/d in 2012, which resulted in a narrowed gap between urban and rural areas. Although the average intake of dairy products increased from 14·9 g/d in 1992 to 24·7 g/d in 2012, the overall level was still lower. There was a significant difference of dairy consumption between urban and rural residents. The gap of per capita consumption of milk between urban and rural households was 3·5 kg/year in 1990, reached the maximum of 16·9 kg/year in 2003, then decreased to 8·7 kg/year in 2012. In conclusion, the finding of this review sheds light on some problems with food consumption patterns in China. Effective strategies need to be adopted in order to change the consumption patterns. The consumption of milk and replacing pork with poultry or fish or other health foods should be encouraged.
Christmas at the Poles: emotions, food, and festivities on polar expeditions, 1818–1912
Authors: McCorristine Shane , Mocellin Jane S.P.
Published: June 2016

In this article we survey descriptions of Christmas celebrations contained in the diaries and narratives of polar explorers (mostly British) from 1818 to 1912. We find that Christmas was a time almost universally associated with the display of positive emotions, although this was in the context of increased amounts of stress associated with the challenges of over-wintering at high latitudes. Firstly, we argue that Christmas was crucial to the well-being of expedition participants because it opened emotional channels that enabled them to cope with stress. Secondly, we argue that Christmas revealed a play space in which certain types of normally deviant behaviour were welcomed. Thirdly, we argue that Christmas was a major nutritional event for over-wintering crew members, satisfying a need for calories that was rarely met in the everyday rations.
Brain functional changes in first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar disorder: evidence for default mode network dysfunction
Authors: Alonso-Lana S. , Valentí M. , Romaguera A. , Sarri C. , Sarró S. , Rodríguez-Martínez A. , Goikolea J. M. , Amann B. L. , Maristany T. , Salvador R. , Vieta E. , McKenna P. J. , Pomarol-Clotet E.
Published: June 2016

Background

Relatively few studies have investigated whether relatives of patients with bipolar disorder show brain functional changes, and these have focused on activation changes. Failure of de-activation during cognitive task performance is also seen in the disorder and may have trait-like characteristics since it has been found in euthymia.

Method

A total of 20 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder, 20 of their unaffected siblings and 40 healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during performance of the n-back working memory task. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was fitted to individual whole-brain maps from each set of patient–relative–matched pair of controls. Clusters of significant difference among the groups were used as regions of interest to compare mean activations/de-activations between them.

Results

A single cluster of significant difference among the three groups was found in the whole-brain ANOVA. This was located in the medial prefrontal cortex, a region of task-related de-activation in the healthy controls. Both the patients and their siblings showed significantly reduced de-activation compared with the healthy controls in this region, but the failure was less marked in the relatives.

Conclusions

Failure to de-activate the medial prefrontal cortex in both euthymic bipolar patients and their unaffected siblings adds to evidence for default mode network dysfunction in the disorder, and suggests that it may act as a trait marker.
The Generalized Compressed Kalman Filter
Authors: Guivant Jose E.
Published: June 2016

This paper presents a generalization of the Compressed Extended Kalman Filter (CEKF) by introducing the definition of the compressed operation for Bayesian estimation processes and the definition of the Generalized Compressed Kalman Filter (GCKF). The GCKF extends the original definition of the CEKF, formerly introduced for treating a family of estimation problems, such as the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). The new proposed approach, the GCKF, is capable of treating problems that are more general than those of the original CEKF, such as estimation processes that involve certain stochastic Partial Differential Equation (SPDE) models. In addition to solving the SLAM and multi-agent SLAM problem in an efficient way, the GCKF can be applied to more general cases. As a proof of the capabilities of the new method for solving practical estimation problems, a multi-agent SLAM process is presented in the experimental section of this paper.
Compactness in quasi-Banach function spaces and applications to compact embeddings of Besov-type spaces
Authors: Caetano António , Gogatishvili Amiran , Opic Bohumír
Published: June 2016

There are two main aims of the paper. The first is to extend the criterion for the precompactness of sets in Banach function spaces to the setting of quasi-Banach function spaces. The second is to extend the criterion for the precompactness of sets in the Lebesgue spaces Lp(ℝn), 1 ⩽ p < ∞, to the so-called power quasi-Banach function spaces. These criteria are applied to establish compact embeddings of abstract Besov spaces into quasi-Banach function spaces. The results are illustrated on embeddings of Besov spaces , into Lorentz-type spaces.
Did a then unknown virus, HHV-6/7, give rise to the whooping cough vaccine controversy of the 1970s?
Authors: MORTIMER PHILIP P.
Published: June 2016

During the 1970s there was a gross loss of public confidence in infant diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccination in the UK. As well as febrile reactions and convulsions, permanent neurological damage was ascribed to the pertussis component of the vaccine, and those concerns resonated worldwide. The subsequent recognition of human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) and 7 (HHV-7) as common sources of fever in infancy suggests that they were the main underlying cause of what was reported as DTP constitutional side-effects. With more precise data on the incidence of HHV-6/7 and other virus infections in early life it would be possible to model the concurrence of viral illnesses with routine immunizations. Adventitious viral infections may be the cause of side-effects ascribed to the numerous childhood immunizations now being given.
Improving public health intervention for mosquito-borne disease: the value of geovisualization using source of infection and LandScan data
Authors: FLIES E. J. , WILLIAMS C. R. , WEINSTEIN P. , ANDERSON S. J.
Published: June 2016

Epidemiological studies use georeferenced health data to identify disease clusters but the accuracy of this georeferencing is obfuscated by incorrectly assigning the source of infection and by aggregating case data to larger geographical areas. Often, place of residence (residence) is used as a proxy for the source of infection (source) which may not be accurate. Using a 21-year dataset from South Australia of human infections with the mosquito-borne Ross River virus, we found that 37% of cases were believed to have been acquired away from home. We constructed two risk maps using age-standardized morbidity ratios (SMRs) calculated using residence and patient-reported source. Both maps confirm significant inter-suburb variation in SMRs. Areas frequently named as the source (but not residence) and the highest-risk suburbs both tend to be tourist locations with vector mosquito habitat, and camping or outdoor recreational opportunities. We suggest the highest-risk suburbs as places to focus on for disease control measures. We also use a novel application of ambient population data (LandScan) to improve the interpretation of these risk maps and propose how this approach can aid in implementing disease abatement measures on a smaller scale than for which disease data are available.
Calibrating QALYs to Respect Equality of Persons
Authors: FRANKLIN DONALD
Published: June 2016

Comparative valuation of different policy interventions often requires interpersonal comparability of benefit. In the field of health economics, the metric commonly used for such comparison, quality adjusted life years (QALYs) gained, has been criticized for failing to respect the equality of all persons’ intrinsic worth, including particularly those with disabilities. A methodology is proposed that interprets ‘full quality of life’ as the best health prospect that is achievable for the particular individual within the relevant budget constraint. This calibration is challenging both conceptually and operationally as it shifts dramatically when technology or budget developments alter what can be achieved for incapacitated individuals. The proposal nevertheless ensures that the maximal achievable satisfaction of one person's preferences can carry no more intrinsic value than that of another. This approach, which can be applied to other domains of social valuation, thus prevents implicit discrimination against the elderly and those with irremediable incapacities.
Preferring to Decrease One's Own Well-Being
Authors: BRONSTEEN JOHN
Published: June 2016

Many scholars have argued that well-being is the satisfaction of preferences, or of fully informed preferences, or of fully informed preferences about one's own life. But none of those theories can be true if it is possible to prefer, with full information, to decrease one's own well-being. And because it is possible to have such a preference, those theories cannot be true.
Infant autonomic nervous system response and recovery: Associations with maternal risk status and infant emotion regulation
Authors: Suurland Jill , van der Heijden Kristiaan B. , Smaling Hanneke J. A. , Huijbregts Stephan C. J. , van Goozen Stephanie H. M. , Swaab Hanna
Published: June 2016

This study examined whether risk status and cumulative risk were associated with autonomic nervous system reactivity and recovery, and emotion regulation in infants. The sample included 121 6-month-old infants. Classification of risk status was based on World Health Organization criteria (e.g., presence of maternal psychopathology, substance use, and social adversity). Heart rate, parasympathetic respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and sympathetic preejection period were examined at baseline and across the still face paradigm. Infant emotion regulation was coded during the still face paradigm. Infants in the high-risk group showed increased heart rate, parasympathetic withdrawal, and sympathetic activation during recovery from the still face episode. Higher levels of cumulative risk were associated with increased sympathetic nervous system activation. Moreover, increased heart rate during recovery in the high-risk group was mediated by both parasympathetic and sympathetic activity, indicating mobilization of sympathetic resources when confronted with socioemotional challenge. Distinct indirect pathways were observed from maternal risk to infant emotion regulation during the still face paradigm through parasympathetic and sympathetic regulation. These findings underline the importance of specific measures of parasympathetic and sympathetic response and recovery, and indicate that maternal risk is associated with maladaptive regulation of stress early in life reflecting increased risk for later psychopathology.
Computable elements and functions in effectively enumerable topological spaces
Authors: KOROVINA MARGARITA , KUDINOV OLEG
Published: June 2016

This paper is a part of the ongoing program of analysing the complexity of various problems in computable analysis in terms of the complexity of the associated index sets. In the framework of effectively enumerable topological spaces, we investigate the following question: given an effectively enumerable topological space whether there exists a computable numbering of all its computable elements. We present a natural sufficient condition on the family of basic neighbourhoods of computable elements that guarantees the existence of a principal computable numbering. We show that weakly-effective ω–continuous domains and the natural numbers with the discrete topology satisfy this condition. We prove weak and strong analogues of Rice's theorem for computable elements. Then, we construct principal computable numberings of partial majorant-computable real-valued functions and co-effectively closed sets and calculate the complexity of index sets for important problems such as root verification and function equality. For example, we show that, for partial majorant-computable real functions, the equality problem is Π11-complete.
Decreased false-positive adolescent pre-athletic screening with Seattle Criteria-interpreted electrocardiograms
Authors: Colombo Jamie N. , Samson Ricardo A. , Valdes Santiago O. , Meziab Omar , Sisk David , Klewer Scott E.
Published: June 2016

Sudden cardiac arrest is a rare but devastating cause of death in young adults. Electrocardiograms may detect many causes of sudden cardiac arrest, but are not routinely included in pre-athletic screening in the United States of America partly because of high rates of false-positive interpretation. To improve electrocardiogram specificity for identifying cardiac conditions associated with sudden cardiac arrest, an expert panel developed refined criteria known as the Seattle Criteria. Ours is the first study to compare standard electrocardiogram criteria with Seattle Criteria in 11- to 13-year-olds. In total, 1424 students completed the pre-athletic screening and electrocardiogram; those with a positive screen or abnormal electrocardiogram interpreted by a paediatric electrophysiologist completed further work-up. Electrocardiograms referred for additional evaluation were re-interpreted by a paediatric electrophysiologist using Seattle Criteria. Electrocardiogram abnormalities were identified in 98 (6.9%); Seattle Criteria identified 28 (2.0%). Formal evaluation confirmed four students at risk for sudden cardiac arrest (0.3%): long QT syndrome (n=2), Wolff–Parkinson–White (n=1), and pulmonary hypertension (n=1). All students with at-risk phenotypes for sudden cardiac arrest were identified by both standard electrophysiologist and Seattle Criteria. The false-positive interpretation rate decreased from 6.6 to 1.7% with Seattle Criteria. Downstream costs associated with screening using standard paediatric electrocardiogram interpretations and Seattle Criteria were projected at $24 versus $7, respectively. In conclusion, using Seattle Criteria for electrocardiogram interpretation decreases the rate of false-positive results compared with standard interpretation without omitting true-positive electrocardiogram findings. This may decrease unnecessary referrals and costs associated with formal cardiology evaluation.
Reported Expressive Suppression in Daily Life Is Associated with Slower Action Planning
Authors: Niermeyer Madison A. , Franchow Emilie I. , Suchy Yana
Published: June 2016

Objectives Growing evidence demonstrates that (a) executive functioning (EF) becomes deleteriously affected by engagement in the emotion regulation strategy known as expressive suppression and (b) EF shows considerable functional and neuroanatomical overlap with motor output. The current study aimed to bridge these two literatures by examining the relationships between naturally occurring expressive suppression and several different aspects of motor output, including action planning, action learning, and motor-control speed and accuracy. In addition, we investigated whether any identified relationships could be explained by EF. Methods Fifty-one healthy young adults completed selected subtests from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System as indices of EF, a self-report measure of expressive suppression, and a computerized motor sequencing task (Push Turn Taptap task; PTT) designed to assess action planning, action learning, and motor control speed and accuracy. Results Hierarchical regressions using each aspect of PTT performance as the dependent variable revealed that higher than usual self-reported expressive suppression on the day of testing (relative to the 2 weeks preceding testing) was associated with longer action-planning latencies. This relationship was fully explained by EF. No other PTT variables related to expressive suppression on the day of testing. Conclusions These results suggest that increased expressive suppression in daily life is associated with slower action planning, an aspect of motor output that is reliant on EF, highlighting the importance of factors that lead to intra-individual fluctuations in EF and motor performance. (JINS, 2016, 22, 671–681)
Stop Signal Reaction Time Deficits in a Lifetime Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Sample
Authors: McLaughlin Nicole C.R. , Kirschner Jason , Foster Hallee , O’Connell Chloe , Rasmussen Steven A. , Greenberg Benjamin D.
Published: June 2016

Objectives: Several studies have found impaired response inhibition, measured by a stop-signal task (SST), in individuals who are currently symptomatic for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of this study was to assess stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) performance in individuals with a lifetime diagnosis of OCD, in comparison to a healthy control group. This is the first study that has examined OCD in participants along a continuum of OCD severity, including approximately half of whom had sub-syndromal symptoms at the time of assessment. Methods: OCD participants were recruited primarily from within the OCD clinic at a psychiatric hospital, as well as from the community. Healthy controls were recruited from the community. We used the stop signal task to examine the difference between 21 OCD participants (mean age, 42.95 years) and 40 healthy controls (mean age, 35.13 years). We also investigated the relationship between SST and measures of OCD, depression, and anxiety severity. Results: OCD participants were significantly slower than healthy controls with regard to mean SSRT. Contrary to our prediction, there was no correlation between SSRT and current levels of OCD, anxiety, and depression severity. Conclusions: Results support prior studies showing impaired response inhibition in OCD, and extend the findings to a sample of patients with lifetime OCD who were not all currently above threshold for diagnosis. These findings indicate that response inhibition deficits may be a biomarker of OCD, regardless of current severity levels. (JINS, 2016, 22, 785–789)
Relationship between adherence to Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet indices and incidence of depression during up to 8 years of follow-up
Authors: Perez-Cornago Aurora , Sanchez-Villegas Almudena , Bes-Rastrollo Maira , Gea Alfredo , Molero Patricio , Lahortiga-Ramos Francisca , Martinez-Gonzalez Miguel Ángel
Published: June 2016

Objective

Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between adherence to different Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet indices and the risk of depression.

Design

In a prospective study we assessed 14051 participants of a dynamic (permanently ongoing recruitment) prospective cohort (the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Project), initially free of depression. At baseline, a validated FFQ was used to assess adherence to four previously proposed DASH indices (Dixon, Mellen, Fung and Günther). To define the outcome we applied two definitions of depression: a less conservative definition including only self-reported physician-diagnosed depression (410 incident cases) and a more conservative definition that required both clinical diagnosis of depression and use of antidepressants (113 incident cases). Cox regression and restricted cubic splines analyses were performed.

Results

After a median follow-up period of 8 years, the multiple-adjusted model showed an inverse association with the Fung DASH score (hazard ratio (HR)=0·76; 95 % CI 0·61, 0·94) when we used the less conservative definition of depression, and also under the more conservative definition (HR=0·63; 95 % CI 0·41, 0·95). We observed a weak inverse association with the Mellen DASH score, but no statistically significant association was found for the other definitions. The restricted cubic splines analyses suggested that these associations were non-linear (U-shaped).

Conclusions

Moderate adherence to the DASH diet as operationalized by Fung and Mellen was related to lower depression risk. Since these associations were non-linear, additional prospective studies are required before the results can be generalized and clinical recommendations can be given.
ON ANNULAR MAPS OF THE TORUS AND SUBLINEAR DIFFUSION
Authors: Dávalos Pablo
Published: June 2016

A classical article by Misiurewicz and Ziemian (J. Lond. Math. Soc.40(2) (1989), 490–506) classifies the elements in Homeo$_{0}(\mathbf{T}^{2})$ by their rotation set $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}$, according to wether $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}$ is a point, a segment or a set with nonempty interior. A recent classification of nonwandering elements in Homeo$_{0}(\mathbf{T}^{2})$ by Koropecki and Tal was given in (Invent. Math.196 (2014), 339–381), according to the intrinsic underlying ambient space where the dynamics takes place: planar, annular and strictly toral maps. We study the link between these two classifications, showing that, even abroad the nonwandering setting, annular maps are characterized by rotation sets which are rational segments. Also, we obtain information on the sublinear diffusion of orbits in the—not very well understood—case that $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}$ has nonempty interior.
The continuing implications of the ‘crime’ of suicide: a brief history of the present
Authors: Tait Gordon , Carpenter Belinda
Published: June 2016

The long history of suicide as a criminal offence still has a significant contemporary effect on how it is perceived, conceptualised and adjudged. This is particularly the case within countries where suicide is largely determined within a coronial system, such as Australia, the UK and the US. This paper details the outcomes of a study involving semi-structured interviews with coroners both in England and Australia, as well as observations at inquests. It focuses around the widely held contention that the suicide rates produced within these coronial systems are underestimations of anywhere between 15 to 50 per cent. The results of these interviews suggest that there are three main reasons for this systemic underestimation. The first reflects the legacy of suicide as a criminal offence, resulting in the highest standard of proof for findings of suicide in the UK, and a continuing stigma attached to families of the deceased. The second is the considerable pressure brought to bear upon coroners by the family of the deceased, who, because of that stigma, commonly agitate for any finding other than that of suicide. The third involves the rise of ‘therapeutic jurisprudence’, wherein coroners take on the responsibility of the emotional well-being of the grieving families, which in turn affects the likelihood of reaching a finding of suicide. The conclusions drawn by the paper are also twofold: first – with respect to the stigma of suicide – it will take a lot more than simple decriminalisation to change deeply held social perceptions within the community. Second, given that suicide prevention programmes and policies are based on such deeply questionable statistics, targeted changes to coronial legislation and practice would appear to be required.
Deaths after police contact in England and Wales: the effects of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights on coronial practice
Authors: Baker David
Published: June 2016

This paper examines the role of coroners in investigating and reporting on cases of death after police contact (DAPC) in England and Wales. It considers how Article 2 (the right to life) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) has affected coronial processes and practices. It argues that the effects of Article 2 represent an evolutionary shift in accountability processes surrounding cases of DAPC in England and Wales, but that this shift has in turn been mediated by aspects of institutional structure in the coronial system. It discusses how this shift demonstrates the dynamic relationship between the coronial system, state and society and how this has continued to evolve as a result of external demands.