bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is it possible to differentiate between environmental and fishery effects on abundance‐biomass variation? A case study of blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) in the Strait of Gibraltar
Authors: Gutiérrez‐Estrada Juan Carlos , Gil‐Herrera Juan , Pulido‐Calvo Inmaculada , Czerwinski Ivone Alejandra
Published: January 2017

We assessed the potential for simulation and modelling of the blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) population in the Strait of Gibraltar to discriminate the environmental effects of fishery impacts. A discrete biomass–abundance dynamic model was implemented to obtain a simulated monthly time series of blackspot seabream biomass. On this simulated time series, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were fitted. The best ARIMA fit provided a significant correlation of 0.76 and persistence index higher than 0.85. The proportion of variance non‐explained by the ARIMA models was correlated with a time series of sea surface temperature (SST) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The analysis of global, annual and winter correlation between the proportion of variance not explained by the ARIMA models and environmental variables showed that significant associations were not detected over the full time series. Our analysis therefore suggests that overexploitation is the main factor responsible for the commercial depletion of blackspot seabream in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Femoral muscle mass relates to physical frailty components in community‐dwelling older people
Authors: Takahashi Tetsuya , Sugie Masamitsu , Nara Marina , Koyama Teruyuki , Obuchi Shuichi P , Harada Kazumasa , Kyo Syunei , Ito Hideki
Published: January 2017

Aim

To examine the relationship between lower limb muscle (femoral muscle, calf muscle) mass and exercise capacity, and frailty components in community‐dwelling older people.

Methods

Participants included 121 community‐dwelling individuals. There were 42 men and 79 women, and the mean age was 77.7 years (range 56–97 years). Appendicular skeletal muscle mass was determined using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, and the skeletal muscle index was calculated using the following formula: appendicular skeletal muscle / body height2. Femoral muscle mass and calf muscle mass were determined, respectively, by dividing the femoral bone and tibial bone at the knee joint space. A symptom‐limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing was carried out and peak oxygen uptake was measured. Functional exercise performance was evaluated using the handgrip strength measurement, comfortable walking speed, and the Timed Up and Go test. All patients gave written, informed consent before data collection.

Results

Peak oxygen uptake correlated positively with the skeletal muscle index (r = 0.491). Only femoral muscle mass that was corrected with the whole body muscle mass was positively correlated with peak oxygen uptake (r = 0.473), handgrip strength (r = 0.382), comfortable walking speed (r = 0.427), and the Timed Up and Go test (r = 0.379). Calf muscle mass that was corrected with the whole‐body muscle mass showed no correlation with exercise capacity and frailty components. A similar tendency was observed in both men and women.

Conclusions

Femoral muscle mass influenced exercise capacity and physical frail components compared with calf muscle mass. These results suggest the importance of the femoral muscle in physical frailty. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1636–1641.
The use of educational video to promote maternal self‐efficacy in preventing early childhood diarrhoea
Authors: Joventino Emanuella Silva , Ximenes Lorena Barbosa , da Penha Jardeliny Corrêa , Andrade Lucilande Cordeiro de Oliveira , de Almeida Paulo César
Published: January 2017

Diarrhoea is responsible for high rates of infant morbidity and mortality. It is multifactorial, manifested by socioeconomic, hygienic, and maternal factors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of an educational video on maternal self‐efficacy for the prevention of childhood diarrhoea. This was a randomized trial conducted in the state of Ceará, Brazil. Participants were 2 groups (comparison and intervention), composed of mothers of children under 5 years of age. Group membership was allocated by cluster randomization. Outcomes were maternal self‐efficacy measured using the Maternal Self‐efficacy Scale for Prevention of Early Childhood Diarrhoea; outcome data collectors were blinded to group allocation. Ninety participants were randomized to each group; 83 intervention group and 80 comparison group members were contained in the final analysis. Maternal self‐efficacy in preventing childhood diarrhoea increased in both groups, but average scores of the intervention group were higher at all time than those of the comparison group. The educational video had a significant effect on maternal self‐efficacy.
At the Source of European Solidarity: Assessing the Effects of Cross‐border Practices and Political Attitudes
Authors: Ciornei Irina , Recchi Ettore
Published: January 2017

In this article we discuss the concept of European solidarity by distinguishing between transnational and international solidarity. The former refers to support for institutional arrangements aimed at sharing economic risks at the individual level, while the latter entails public agreement to share economic risks at the Member State level. We explore the joint role of cross‐border interactions and political attitudes in fostering solidarity ties among Europeans through multilevel modelling based on the 2012 Eurobarometer 77 survey. The article shows that transnational experiences do not have the same effect on different forms of European solidarity, limiting transnational and enhancing international solidarity. Egalitarian individuals are more prone to EU‐wide solidarity, with cross‐border practices affecting their level of solidarity, while not altering those of the rest of the population. In particular, we find that cross‐border practices make egalitarians more inclined to international and less to transnational solidarity.
Rapid determination of 15 metallic elements in 2 kinds of coix seeds by inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry after closed‐vessel microwave digestion
Authors: Zhang Lei , Nie Xu Yuan , Le Tao
Published: January 2017

This paper presents an optimal method and verification process for measuring contents of 15 metal elements (boron, magnesium, aluminum, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, tin, antimony, and lead) in two kinds of coix seeds with microwave digestion‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry. The results showed that microwave digestion‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry was a simple and convenient method, which can accurately determine contents of 15 metal elements in coix seed, with detection limit ranging within 0.0016–7.02 mg/L, and recovery rate varying within 96.00–104.87%. National primary standard substance‐green onions (GBW10049 GSB‐27) were adopted to verify accuracy and precision of such method. The two tested coix seeds (Xingren smaller coix seed and Yunnan bigger coix seed) both contain Mn, Zn, Ca, Mg, Fe in high content, wherein the Xingren smaller coix seed is richer in Al, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Mg as compared to Yunnan bigger coix seed. Contents of heavy metals such as Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, Sn, and Sb are in line with GB 2762‐2012 of “limits of contaminants in foods.” This method which can simultaneously determining 15 essential and nonessential elements in coix seed enjoys an acceptable analytical performance and is applicable for routine laboratory testing.

Practical applications

This paper studies a new method for simultaneous analysis and detection of 15 metal elements in coix seed with microwave digestion‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry. The method features rapid analysis speed and wide linear range. After one‐time sample digestion, 15 elements in coix seed can be determined simultaneously with high accuracy and sensitivity.
Hepatitis C treatment from “response‐guided” to “resource‐guided” therapy in the transition era from interferon‐containing to interferon‐free regimens
Authors: Yu Ming‐Lung
Published: January 2017

Peginterferon/ribavirin has been the standard‐of‐care for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections: 48 weeks for genotype 1 or 4 (HCV‐1/4) and 24 weeks for HCV‐2/3. Response‐guided therapy recommended shorter 24‐ and 16‐week regimens for HCV‐1 with lower baseline viral loads (< 400 000–800 000 IU/mL) and rapid virological response (RVR, undetectable HCV RNA at week 4) and HCV‐2/3 with RVR, respectively; and extending to 72 and 48 weeks for HCV‐1 slower responders and HCV‐2 non‐RVR patients, respectively, to improve the efficacy. The progress of directly acting antivirals (DAA), moving from interferon‐containing regimens in 2011 to interferon‐free regimens in 2013, has greatly improved the treatment success. Interferon‐containing regimens include boceprevir or telaprevir or simeprevir or daclatasvir plus peginterferon/ribavirin, 24–48 weeks, for HCV‐1 or 4. However, adding these DAA has no benefit for HCV‐1 with lower baseline viral loads/RVR. Instead, 12‐week sofosbuvir plus peginterferon/ribavirin attained sustained virological response rates of > 90% for HCV‐1/3–6. Interferon‐free regimens include two main categories: NS5B nucleotide inhibitor (sofosbuvir)‐based regimens and NS3/4A inhibitor/NS5A inhibitor‐based regimens (daclatasvir/asunaprevir, paritaprevir/r/ombitasvir/dasabuvir and grazoprevir/elbasvir). About 8–24 weeks interferon‐free regimens could achieve sustained virological response rates of 82–99% for corresponding HCV genotypes. Although the newly DAA interferon‐free regimens have high efficacy and safety, the huge budget impact increases the treatment barriers. The current recommendation should, therefore, base on the availability, indication, and cost‐effectiveness in the transition era of DAA. Based on the concept of “resource‐guided therapy,” peginterferon/ribavirin might be applied for easy‐to‐treat interferon‐eligible patients in resource‐constrained areas. Prioritizing patients for interferon‐free regimens according to “time‐degenerative factors” (age and fibrosis) is justified before the regimens becoming available and affordable.
Socio‐economic determinants of vitaminAintake in children under 5 years of age: evidence fromPakistan
Authors: Changezi F. , Lindberg L.
Published: January 2017

Background

Vitamin A deficiency, which is a leading health issue worldwide, is estimated to affect approximately 190 million children globally. The most affected areas are Africa and parts of Southeast Asia.

Methods

The present study examined the use of vitamin A supplementation and the association between socio‐demographic factors and vitamin A supplementation in children aged less than 5 years from a cross‐sectional demographic survey of Pakistan. Odds ratios were used to express the association between the independent and dependent variables.

Results

For 10 906 children, the coverage of vitamin A supplementation was 68.5%, with regional variations of between 8% and 79%. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used on a nationally representative sample of mothers aged 15–49 years. The adjusted results showed that socio‐demographic factors such as a maternal age greater than 24 years, living in rural areas and regional variations were positively associated with vitamin A supplementation.

Conclusions

From the results of the present study, we conclude that socio‐demographic factors were influential on vitamin A supplementation in children aged less than 5 years. Therefore, national and community‐level efforts to support younger mothers in urban areas in the regions with the lowest coverage are needed to increase the acceptance of vitamin A supplementation, aiming to improve the nutritional status of children and decrease inequity in health.
How Likable Are Personality Disorder and General Personality Traits to Those Who Possess Them?
Authors: Lamkin Joanna , Maples‐Keller Jessica L. , Miller Joshua D.
Published: January 2017

Objective

The goal of the present study was to investigate whether having higher scores on maladaptive personality traits was related to rating these traits as more likable.

Method

Two studies were conducted, one with personality disorder traits (N = 219; Mage = 19.4; 63.8% female; 76.6% Caucasian) and one with general personality traits (N = 198; Mage = 19.5; 69.7% female; 77.3% Caucasian). In each study, participants self‐rated their own personality and separately provided ratings of how “likable” they considered those personality traits.

Results

As expected, participants rated maladaptive traits more favorably if they considered themselves to possess those traits as well. Also as expected, individuals with higher Antagonism scores (including self‐rated Dark Triad constructs of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) rated Antagonism and its related facets as “tolerable”—not necessarily likable, but as less unlikable than the average participant.

Conclusions

These findings have implications for the ways that individuals with personality pathology perceive the people around them, which may in turn impact their expectations and behaviors.
Motivations for adolescent self‐harm and the implications for mental health nurses
Authors: Doyle L. , Sheridan A. , Treacy M. P.
Published: January 2017

Accessible summary

What is known on the subject?

Self‐harm is a relatively common occurrence in adolescents; however, there remains a lack of understanding about the motivations behind adolescent self‐harm, and this poor understanding can have a negative impact on how mental health professionals respond to young people who self‐harm.

What does this paper add to existing knowledge?

This paper identifies the reasons for self‐harm in a community sample of young people and finds that the functions of self‐harm differ for different people and that there may be multiple reasons for self‐harm.

Findings provide support for the affect‐regulation model of self‐harm which states that young people self‐harm to regulate how they are feeling, but provides little support for the interpersonal influence model which proposes that self‐harm is an attempt to influence how other people respond to them.

What are the implications for practice?

Self‐harm for most young people serves at least one specific function and is an indication of distress.

There is a requirement for a non‐pathologizing response towards young people who self‐harm; self‐harm should be understood as a meaningful behaviour rather than a symptom of an illness.

Mental health nurses need to understand the multiple functions of self‐harm. A better understanding of the individualized meaning behind self‐harm can positively impact on attitudes towards young people who self‐harm and provide for improved mental health service provision.

Introduction

Although self‐harm is a relatively common occurrence in adolescents, there is a lack of understanding about the motivations behind it. A poor understanding of self‐harm contributes to negative perceptions about those who self‐harm and a poor healthcare experience.

Aim & Methods

This study identifies motivations behind self‐harm in school‐based adolescents using a cross‐sectional survey. Motivations behind self‐harm were elicited using a scale and open‐ended responses.

Results

Of the 856 adolescents who completed the survey across 11 postprimary schools, 103 reported a history of self‐harm. The most commonly endorsed reason for self‐harm was to ‘get relief from a terrible state of mind’ (79%). Open‐ended responses were consistent with scale responses with most reporting that they self‐harmed to relieve distressing emotions.

Discussion

Findings provide support for the affect‐regulation model of self‐harm with support also demonstrated for the self‐punishment and antidissociation models. There was little support for the interpersonal influence model suggesting that the commonly held belief that self‐harm is attention‐seeking is one attributed by others to young people, and not widely reported by young people themselves.

Implications for practice

Mental health services need to be responsive to the needs of young people who self‐harm which requires eliciting and understanding the individual and multiple meanings behind self‐harm to best inform treatment options.
Factor structure and validity of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale‐21 in Swedish translation
Authors: Alfonsson S. , Wallin E. , Maathz P.
Published: January 2017

Accessible summary

What is known on the subject?

The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale‐21 (DASS‐21) is a widely used measurement for psychological symptoms and distress.

Some previous studies have shown that the DASS‐21 can accurately measure symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, while other studies have indicated that the DASS‐21 mainly measures overall distress.

The factor structure of the DASS‐21 is important and debated since if affects interpretations of findings.

What does this paper add to existing knowledge?

In this study, the DASS‐21 was translated into Swedish and evaluated in three diverse samples.

The DASS‐21 subscales of Depression and Anxiety correlated significantly with corresponding criteria instruments. The DASS‐21 Stress subscale showed more diverse associations with psychological distress.

The analyses supported a bifactor model of the DASS‐21 with three specific factors of depression, anxiety and stress as well as a general distress factor.

What are the implications for practice?

The results show that the DASS‐21 may be used to measure unique symptoms of depression, anxiety and, with some caveat, stress as well as overall psychological distress.

This study confirms that the DASS‐21 is theoretically sound instrument that is feasible for both research and clinical practice.

The DASS‐21 can be an accessible tool for screening and evaluation in first‐line mental health services.

Introduction

There is a constant need for theoretically sound and valid self‐report instruments for measuring psychological distress. Previous studies have shown that the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale‐21 (DASS‐21) is theoretically sound, but there have been some inconsistent results regarding its factor structure.

Aims

The aim of the present study was to investigate and elucidate the factor structure and convergent validity of the DASS‐21.

Methods

A total of 624 participants recruited from student, primary care and psychotherapy populations. The factor structure of the DASS‐21 was assessed by confirmatory factor analyses and the convergent validity by investigating its unique correlations with other psychiatric instruments.

Results

A bifactor structure with depression, anxiety, stress and a general factor provided the best fit indices for the DASS‐21. The convergent validity was adequate for the Depression and Anxiety subscales but more ambiguous for the Stress subscale.

Discussion

The present study overall supports the validity and factor structure of the DASS‐21.

Implications for practice

The DASS‐21 can be used to measure symptoms of depression and anxiety as well as overall distress. It can be useful for mental health nurses, and other first‐line psychiatric professionals, in need of a short, feasible and valid instrument in everyday care
Rheological and sensory behaviors of parboiled pasta cooked using a microwave pasteurization process
Authors: Joyner Helen S. , Jones Kari E. , Rasco Barbara A.
Published: January 2017

Pasta hydration and cooking requirements make in‐package microwave pasteurization of pasta a processing challenge. The objective of this study was to assess instrumental and sensory attributes of microwave‐treated pasta in comparison to conventionally cooked pasta. Fettuccine pasta was parboiled for 0, 3, 6, 9, or 12 min, pasteurized by microwaves at 915 MHz, then stored under refrigeration for 1 week. Pastas were evaluated by a trained sensory panel and with rheometry. Total pasta heat treatment affected both rheological and sensory behaviors; these differences were attributed to ultrastructure differences. Significant nonlinear behavior and dominant fluid‐like behavior was observed in all pastas at strains >1%. Sensory results suggested microwave pasteurization may intensify the attributes associated with the aging of pasta such as retrogradation. A clear trend between magnitude of heat treatment and attribute intensity was not observed for all sensory attributes tested. The microwave pasta with the longest parboil time showed rheological behavior most similar to conventionally cooked pasta. Principal component analysis revealed that no microwave‐treated pasta was similar to the control pasta. However, pasta parboiled for 9 min before microwave treatment had the greatest number of similar sensory attributes, followed by pasta parboiled for 6 or 12 min. Further study is needed to determine overall consumer acceptance of microwave‐treated pasta and whether the differences in sensory and rheological behavior would impact consumer liking.

Practical applications

The results of this study may be applied to optimize microwave pasteurization processes for cooked pasta and similar products, such as rice. The measurement and analysis procedures can be used to evaluate processing effects on a variety of different foods to determine overall palatability.
Evaluation of a Chemiluminescent Immunoassay for Measurement of Equine Insulin
Authors: Carslake H.B. , Pinchbeck G.L. , McGowan C.M.
Published: January 2017

Background

Many diagnostic tests for insulin dysregulation use reference intervals established with an insulin radioimmunoassay (RIA) that is no longer available. A chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) is commonly used for the measurement of serum insulin concentration in clinical practice but requires further validation, especially at clinically relevant reference intervals.

Objectives

To evaluate the CLIA for measurement of equine insulin and compare it to the previously validated, but now unavailable RIA.

Samples

Equine serum samples (n = 78) from clinical and experimental studies.

Methods

In this experimental study, performance of the CLIA was evaluated using standard variables, including comparison with the RIA. Continuous and binary outcomes were analyzed.

Results

The CLIA showed good intra‐assay (coefficient of variation [CV], 1.8–2.4%) and interassay (CV, 3–7.1%) precision. Acceptable recovery on dilution (100 ± 10%) was achieved only at dilutions <1:1. Recovery on addition was acceptable. Comparison of the CLIA and RIA showed strong positive correlation (r = 0.91–0.98), with fixed and proportional bias. At 3 diagnostic cutoffs, sensitivity of CLIA compared with RIA ranged from 67 to 100% and specificity from 96 to 100%.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The CLIA is a highly repeatable assay which is suitable for within‐ and between‐horse comparisons. Dilution of high concentration samples should be performed with charcoal‐stripped serum (CSS) and at the lowest dilution factor possible. At concentrations commonly used for diagnosis of insulin dysregulation (≤100 μIU/mL), results from the CLIA tend to be lower than from the RIA and should be interpreted accordingly. Further standardization of equine insulin assays is required.
Casting light on xylem vulnerability in an herbaceous species reveals a lack of segmentation
Authors: Skelton Robert P. , Brodribb Timothy J. , Choat Brendan
Published: January 2017

Finding thresholds at which loss of plant functionality occurs during drought is critical for predicting future crop productivity and survival. Xylem resistance to embolism has been suggested as a key trait associated with water‐stress tolerance. Although a substantial literature exists describing the vulnerability of woody stems to embolism, leaves and roots of herbaceous species remain under‐represented. Also, little is known about vulnerability to embolism at a whole‐plant scale or propagation of embolism within plants.

New techniques to view the process of embolism formation provide opportunities to resolve long‐standing questions. Here, we used multiple visual techniques, including X‐ray micro‐computed tomography and the optical vulnerability method, to investigate the spread of embolism within intact stems, leaves and roots of Solanum lycopersicum (common tomato).

We found that roots, stems and leaves of tomato plants all exhibited similar vulnerability to embolism, suggesting that embolism rapidly propagates among tissues. Although we found scarce evidence for differentiation of xylem vulnerability among tissues at the scale of the whole plant, within a leaf the midrib embolized at higher water potentials than lower order veins.

Substantial overlap between the onset of cavitation and incipient leaf damage suggests that cavitation represents a substantial damage to plants, but the point of lethal cavitation in this herbaceous species remains uncertain.
The ‘wayfinding’ experience of family carers who learn to manage technical health procedures at home: a grounded theory study
Authors: McDonald Janet , McKinlay Eileen , Keeling Sally , Levack William
Published: January 2017

Background

With more care taking place in the home, family carers play an important role in supporting patients. Some family carers undertake technical health procedures generally managed by health professionals in hospital settings (e.g. managing a tracheostomy or enteral feeding).

Aim

To explore how family carers learn to manage technical health procedures in order to help health professionals better understand and support this process.

Design and methods

A grounded theory study using data from interviews with 26 New Zealand family carers who managed technical health procedures including nasogastric or gastrostomy feeding, stoma care, urinary catheterisation, tracheostomy management, intravenous therapy, diabetes management and complex wound dressings. Most (20 participants) were caring for their child and the remaining six for their spouse, parent or grandparent. Following grounded theory methods, each interview was coded soon after completion. Additional data were compared with existing material, and as analysis proceeded, initial codes were grouped into higher order concepts until a core concept was developed. Interviewing continued until no new ideas emerged and concepts were well defined.

Findings

The core concept of ‘wayfinding’ indicates that the learning process for family carers is active, individualised and multi‐influenced, developing over time as a response to lived experience. Health professional support was concentrated on the initial phase of carers’ training, reducing and becoming more reactive as carers took responsibility for day‐to‐day management.

Conclusion

Wayfinding involves self‐navigation by carers, in contrast to patient navigator models which provide continuing professional assistance to patients receiving cancer or chronic care services. Wayfinding by carers raises questions about how carers should be best supported in their initial and ongoing learning as the management of these procedures changes over time.
Playing the Ethnic Card: On the Ethnicization of Afghan Politics
Authors: Schetter Conrad
Published: January 2017

Ethnicity became a pivotal element of the Bonn Agreement 2001 aiming to end the civil wars in Afghanistan that have been ongoing since 1979. In the political process, ethnic categories were understood as key building blocks of Afghan society. In essence, the Bonn Agreement sought to outbalance ethnic interest to overcome a decisive root cause of this protracted conflict. This article argues that this approach, however, produced the contrary outcome – that is, the political manifestation of ethnicity in Afghan politics. Hereby the political architects of the Bonn Agreement ignored the fuzziness of the concept of ethnicity in Afghan society as well as the implicit and strategic way of using ethnicity in the political arena.
Uncovering National Nexus's Representations: The Case of Québec
Authors: Mathieu Félix , Laforest Guy
Published: January 2017

This article proposes a critical analysis of the historical and ideological process that has led to the recently‐defunct Parti québécois' (PQ) Charte de la laïcité. It shows that this legislative project, as an attempt to renew Québec's nationalism, amplified the struggles and tensions that characterize the normative source of the national nexus. More specifically, this article reveals that two carrier groups – the liberal‐pluralists, on the one hand, and the republican‐conservatives, on the other – have actively fought to get access to that normative source, trying ultimately to spread their national nexus's representations as the legitimate ones. Hence, the former group suggests an individualist‐civic view for Québec's nationalism that embraces immigrant groups, Anglo‐Québécois's minority, native peoples, and the francophone majority, while the latter suggests a collectivist‐civic view for it anchoring into French‐Canadian nationalism. Therefore, two distinct integration models are confronted, where liberal‐pluralists fought against PQ's Charter of Secularism continuing to sustain interculturalism and where republican‐conservatives nevertheless support PQ's Charter.
Ethnic Identity, Modern Nationhood, and the Sino‐Mongolian Contention over the Legacy of Chinggis Khan
Authors: Wang Anran
Published: January 2017

The reason for China to enshrine Chinggis Khan as a national icon is threefold: to foster among the ethnic Mongols a sense of belonging to China by accommodating their cultural identity; to sustain the sense of belonging of Han Chinese to an uninterrupted national identity by depicting the Mongol Empire as a dynasty instead of an alien regime of China; and to justify the rule over other minority regions like Tibet whose unity with China proper was first achieved by the Mongol Empire. On Mongolia's part, the Khalkha‐centric ethnic identity and the status of Chinggis Khan as a symbol of national independence make it impossible for Mongolia to share Chinggis Khan with either their ethnic compatriots in Inner Mongolia or their neighbour China. Thus, both countries find themselves in an irreconcilable contention over the legacy of Chinggis Khan because of their respective national identities and domestic political agendas.
Surgical management of heavy menstrual bleeding: part 2
Authors: Cooper Kevin , Saraswat Lucky
Published: January 2017

Key content

Heavy menstrual bleeding affects one in five premenopausal women and can significantly impair quality of life.

Management options for heavy menstrual bleeding are diverse and include a variety of medical, radiological and surgical treatments.

Surgical treatment options are endometrial ablation, hysterectomy and myomectomy.

Treatment choice for heavy menstrual bleeding should take into account underlying pathology, and the woman's preferences and fertility needs.

Learning objectives

To understand the efficacy, patient‐centred outcomes, risk profile and cost‐effectiveness of various surgical modalities for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding in premenopausal women.

To evaluate differing surgical approaches and techniques for hysterectomy and myomectomy, and their advantages and limitations.

To be able to undertake informed counselling about the different surgical treatment modalities for heavy menstrual bleeding.

Ethical issues

Is it justified to offer hysterectomy as a first choice surgical option that entails increased morbidity but has higher satisfaction rates and is more cost‐effective?

How can the continuing high rates of open abdominal hysterectomy be justified for a benign condition when the evidence clearly supports alternative routes?

How are UK trainees to achieve the requisite skills to offer all surgical alternatives to women presenting with heavy menstrual bleeding within the present training system?
Vegetation effects on impulsive events in the acoustic signature of fires
Authors: Yedinak Kara M. , Anderson Michael J. , Apostol Kent G. , Smith Alistair M. S.
Published: January 2017

Acoustic impulse events have long been used as diagnostics for discrete phenomena in the natural world, including the detection of meteor impacts and volcanic eruptions. Wildland fires display an array of such acoustic impulse events in the form of crackling noises. Exploratory research into the properties of these impulse events revealed information regarding the specific properties of plant material. Unique acoustic frequency bands in the upper end of the sonic spectrum correlated to changes in vegetation properties. The signature of acoustic impulse events as they relate to plant species and plant water stress, were investigated in controlled laboratory combustion experiments. Correlation in the frequency range of 6.0–15.0 kHz was found for both species and water stress, indicating the possibility that a digital filter may be capable of identifying vegetation properties during wildland fire events.
Concurrence of extracellular vesicle enrichment and metabolic switch visualized label-free in the tumor microenvironment
Authors: Tu Haohua , Liu Yuan , Marjanovic Marina , Chaney Eric J. , You Sixian , Zhao Youbo , Boppart Stephen A.
Published: January 2017

Label-free molecular imaging of the tumor microenvironment interrelates well-known events in carcinogenesis across spatial scales.
Rapid decadal convective precipitation increase over Eurasia during the last three decades of the 20th century
Authors: Ye Hengchun , Fetzer Eric J. , Wong Sun , Lambrigtsen Bjorn H.
Published: January 2017

More prevalent showers and thunderstorms are responsible for higher daily extremes and intensity over northern Eurasia.
Accelerated freshening of Antarctic Bottom Water over the last decade in the Southern Indian Ocean
Authors: Menezes Viviane V. , Macdonald Alison M. , Schatzman Courtney
Published: January 2017

Accelerated freshening reduced warming of Antarctic Bottom Water from 2007 to 2016 in the Australian-Antarctic Basin.
Metallic hydrogen created in diamond vise
Authors: Service Robert F.
Published: January 2017

Controversial claim may end 80-year quest for solid metal, but doubts remain.
Regulators drop controversial biospecimen consentproposal
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: January 2017

Researchers had pushed against Common Rule provision.
Can dark matter vanquish controversial rival theory?
Authors: Cho Adrian
Published: January 2017

Challenge from modified Newtonian dynamics rebutted.
Synthesis and characterization of the pentazolate anion
cyclo
-N
5
ˉ in (N
5
)
6
(H
3
O)
3
(NH
4
)
4
Cl
Authors: Zhang Chong , Sun Chengguo , Hu Bingcheng , Yu Chuanming , Lu Ming
Published: January 2017

A salty route to an all-nitrogen ring

The flip side of the robust stability of N
2
is the instability of any larger molecules composed exclusively of nitrogen. These molecules nonetheless remain enticing targets for explosive and propellant applications. Zhang
et al.
successfully prepared the pentazolate ion, a negatively charged ring of five nitrogens, by oxidative cleavage of a C–N bond in an aryl-substituted precursor (see the Perspective by Christe). The molecule was stabilized and isolated in the solid state as a hydrated ammonium chloride salt. Spectroscopic and crystallographic characterization confirmed the ring's planar geometry.

Science
, this issue p.
374
; see also p.
351
RPA binds histone H3-H4 and functions in DNA replication–coupled nucleosome assembly
Authors: Liu Shaofeng , Xu Zhiyun , Leng He , Zheng Pu , Yang Jiayi , Chen Kaifu , Feng Jianxun , Li Qing
Published: January 2017

The platform for building new chromatin

Nucleosomes removed from DNA to facilitate its replication must be replaced quickly to protect the genome. The epigenetic information stored on the parental nucleosomes must also be preserved on the daughter DNA strands. The replication protein A complex (RPA) is a critical component of the DNA replication machinery. RPA binds single-stranded DNA. Liu
et al.
show that RPA bound to a single-stranded DNA replication fork mimic recruits and promotes the assembly of H3-H4 histone tetramers onto adjacent double-stranded DNA. It also recruits specific H3-H4 chaperones, which facilitate the assembly of new nucleosomes.

Science
, this issue p.
415
Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children’s interests
Authors: Bian Lin , Leslie Sarah-Jane , Cimpian Andrei
Published: January 2017

Emergent attitudes toward brilliance

The distribution of women and men across academic disciplines seems to be affected by perceptions of intellectual brilliance. Bian
et al.
studied young children to assess when those differential perceptions emerge. At age 5, children seemed not to differentiate between boys and girls in expectations of “really, really smart”—childhood's version of adult brilliance. But by age 6, girls were prepared to lump more boys into the “really, really smart” category and to steer themselves away from games intended for the “really, really smart.”

Science
, this issue p.
389
Comment on “Mycorrhizal association as a primary control of the CO
2
fertilization effect”
Authors: Norby R. J. , De Kauwe M. G. , Walker A. P. , Werner C. , Zaehle S. , Zak D. R.
Published: January 2017

Terrer
et al
. (Reports, 1 July 2016, p. 72) used meta-analysis of carbon dioxide (CO
2
) enrichment experiments as evidence of an interaction between mycorrhizal symbiosis and soil nitrogen availability. We challenge their database and biomass as the response metric and, hence, their recommendation that incorporation of mycorrhizae in models will improve predictions of terrestrial ecosystem responses to increasing atmospheric CO
2
.
IgG antibodies to dengue enhanced for FcγRIIIA binding determine disease severity
Authors: Wang Taia T. , Sewatanon Jaturong , Memoli Matthew J. , Wrammert Jens , Bournazos Stylianos , Bhaumik Siddhartha Kumar , Pinsky Benjamin A. , Chokephaibulkit Kulkanya , Onlamoon Nattawat , Pattanapanyasat Kovit , Taubenberger Jeffery K. , Ahmed Rafi , Ravetch Jeffrey V.
Published: January 2017

A rare ability to enhance dengue virus disease

In some cases, secondary infections of dengue virus can be extremely serious and result in plasma leakage, thrombocytopenia, and hemorrhagic disease. This phenomenon has been attributed to antibody-dependent enhancement. Wang
et al.
show that a specific subclass of antibody, IgG1, which lacks fucosyl residues on the Fc segment of the heavy chain of the immunoglobulin, is elevated in patients with severe secondary dengue disease. These non-neutralizing antibodies bind activating Fc receptors and appear to cross-react with platelet antigens to cause platelet depletion, contributing to thrombocytopenia.

Science
, this issue p.
395
Response to Comment on “Mycorrhizal association as a primary control of the CO
2
fertilization effect”
Authors: Terrer César , Vicca Sara , Hungate Bruce A. , Phillips Richard P. , Reich Peter B. , Franklin Oskar , Stocker Benjamin D. , Fisher Joshua B. , Prentice I. Colin
Published: January 2017

Norby
et al
. center their critique on the design of the data set and the response variable used. We address these criticisms and reinforce the conclusion that plants that associate with ectomycorrhizal fungi exhibit larger biomass and growth responses to elevated CO
2
compared with plants that associate with arbuscular mycorrhizae.
A chemical genetic roadmap to improved tomato flavor
Authors: Tieman Denise , Zhu Guangtao , Resende Marcio F. R. , Lin Tao , Nguyen Cuong , Bies Dawn , Rambla Jose Luis , Beltran Kristty Stephanie Ortiz , Taylor Mark , Zhang Bo , Ikeda Hiroki , Liu Zhongyuan , Fisher Josef , Zemach Itay , Monforte Antonio , Zamir Dani , Granell Antonio , Kirst Matias , Huang Sanwen , Klee Harry
Published: January 2017

Looking for lost flavor in tomatoes

Commercially available tomatoes are renowned these days for sturdiness, but perhaps not for flavor. Heirloom varieties, on the other hand, maintain the richer flavors and sweeter tomatoes of years past. Tiemanet al.combined tasting panels with chemical and genomic analyses of nearly 400 varieties of tomatoes. They identified some of the flavorful components that have been lost over time. Identification of the genes that have also gone missing provides a path forward for reinstating flavor to commercially grown tomatoes.

Science, this issue p.391
Photosensitized, energy transfer-mediated organometallic catalysis through electronically excited nickel(II)
Authors: Welin Eric R. , Le Chip , Arias-Rotondo Daniela M. , McCusker James K. , MacMillan David W. C.
Published: January 2017

A nickel's worth of transferred energy

Traditional organic photochemistry often relies on sensitizers, molecules that efficiently absorb light and then transfer the energy to other compounds to spur reactivity. Welin
et al.
leveraged this approach to stimulate an organometallic nickel catalyst. They photoexcited an iridium complex with blue light. The ensuing energy transfer to nickel enabled C–O bond formation, coupling aryl halides with carboxylic acids. A similar approach could generate a variety of additional reactivity patterns through photosensitized transition metal catalysis.

Science
, this issue p.
380
Darwin's American ascendancy
The Book That Changed America
Randall Fuller
Viking, 2017. 312 pp.
Authors: Sheldon Myrna Perez
Published: January 2017

In a country on the brink of war, abolitionists found inspiration in
On the Origin of Species
Seeing the forest through the trees
Authors: Kapos Valerie
Published: January 2017

Remote-sensing data identify functional trait variation in tropical forests
A Decade of Development of Chromogenic Culture Media for Clinical Microbiology in an Era of Molecular Diagnostics
Authors: Perry John D.
Published: January 2017

In the last 25 years, chromogenic culture media have found widespread application in diagnostic clinical microbiology. In the last decade, the range of media available to clinical laboratories has expanded greatly, allowing specific detection of additional pathogens, including
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, group B streptococci,
Clostridium difficile
,
Campylobacter
spp., and
Yersinia enterocolitica
. New media have also been developed to screen for pathogens with acquired antimicrobial resistance, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci, carbapenem-resistant
Acinetobacter
spp., and
Enterobacteriaceae
with extended-spectrum β-lactamases and carbapenemases. This review seeks to explore the utility of chromogenic media in clinical microbiology, with particular attention given to media that have been commercialized in the last decade. The impact of laboratory automation and complementary technologies such as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is also assessed. Finally, the review also seeks to demarcate the role of chromogenic media in an era of molecular diagnostics.
Multicenter Comparison Study of both Analytical and Clinical Performance across Four Roche Hepatitis C Virus RNA Assays Utilizing Different Platforms
Authors: Vermehren Johannes , Stelzl Evelyn , Maasoumy Benjamin , Michel-Treil Veronique , Berkowski Caterina , Marins Ed G. , Paxinos Ellen E. , Marino Enrique , Wedemeyer Heiner , Sarrazin Christoph , Kessler Harald H.
Published: January 2017

The efficacy of antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is determined by measuring HCV RNA at specific time points throughout therapy using highly sensitive and accurate HCV RNA assays. This study compared the performances of two recently developed real-time PCR HCV RNA assays, cobas HCV for use on the cobas 6800/8800 systems (cobas 6800/8800 HCV) and cobas HCV for use on the cobas 4800 system (cobas 4800 HCV), with those of two established assays, the Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HCV quantitative test, version 2 (CAP/CTM v2) and the Cobas TaqMan HCV test, version 2 for use with the High Pure system (HPS/CTM v2). The limits of detection (LODs) and linearity at lower concentrations (5 to 1000 IU/ml) were assessed for cobas 6800/8800 HCV and cobas 4800 HCV using WHO standard traceable panels representing HCV genotypes (GT) 1 to 4. Pairwise assay comparisons were also performed using 245 clinical samples representing HCV GT 1 to GT 4. Results from cobas 6800/8800 HCV and cobas 4800 HCV were linear at low HCV RNA concentrations (<0.3 log
10
IU/ml difference between expected and observed results) with LODs of 8.2 IU/ml and 11.7 IU/ml, respectively, for GT 1. The new assays showed excellent agreement with results from CAP/CTM v2 and HPS/CTM v2 in samples with quantifiable viral loads. The concordances using the 6 million IU/ml cutoff were high among all four assays (90 to 94%). In conclusion, the cobas 6800/8800 HCV and cobas 4800 HCV tests are sensitive and linear and correlate well with the established Roche assays used in clinical practice.
Rising Stakes for Health Care-Associated Infection Prevention: Implications for the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory
Authors: Diekema Daniel J.
Published: January 2017

Health care-associated infection (HAI) rates are subject to public reporting and are linked to hospital reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The increasing pressure to lower HAI rates comes at a time when advances in the clinical microbiology laboratory (CML) provide more-precise and -sensitive tests, altering HAI detection in ways that may increase reported HAI rates. I review how changing CML practices can impact HAI rates and how the financial implications of HAI metrics may produce pressure to change diagnostic testing practices. Finally, I provide suggestions for how to respond to this rapidly changing environment.
Conserved Interaction of Lentiviral Vif Molecules with HIV-1 Gag and Differential Effects of Species-Specific Vif on Virus Production
Authors: Zheng Wenwen , Ling Limian , Li Zhaolong , Wang Hong , Rui Yajuan , Gao Wenying , Wang Shaohua , Su Xing , Wei Wei , Yu Xiao-Fang
Published: January 2017

The virion infectivity factor (Vif) open reading frame is conserved among most lentiviruses. Vif molecules contribute to viral replication by inactivating host antiviral factors, the APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases. However, various species of lentiviral Vif proteins have evolved different strategies for overcoming host APOBEC3. Whether different species of lentiviral Vif proteins still preserve certain common features has not been reported. Here, we show for the first time that diverse lentiviral Vif molecules maintain the ability to interact with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag precursor (Pr55
Gag
) polyprotein. Surprisingly, bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) Vif, but not HIV-1 Vif, interfered with HIV-1 production and viral infectivity even in the absence of APOBEC3. Further analysis revealed that BIV Vif demonstrated an enhanced interaction with Pr55
Gag
compared to that of HIV-1 Vif, and BIV Vif defective for the Pr55
Gag
interaction lost its ability to inhibit HIV-1. The C-terminal region of capsid (CA) and the p2 region of Pr55
Gag
, which are important for virus assembly and maturation, were involved in the interaction. Transduction of CD4
+
T cells with BIV Vif blocked HIV-1 replication. Thus, the conserved Vif-Pr55
Gag
interaction provides a potential target for the future development of antiviral strategies.

IMPORTANCE
The conserved Vif accessory proteins of primate lentiviruses HIV-1, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), and BIV all form ubiquitin ligase complexes to target host antiviral APOBEC3 proteins for degradation, with different cellular requirements and using different molecular mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate that BIV Vif can interfere with HIV-1 Gag maturation and suppress HIV-1 replication through interaction with the precursor of the Gag (Pr55
Gag
) of HIV-1 in virus-producing cells. Moreover, the HIV-1 and SIV Vif proteins are conserved in terms of their interactions with HIV-1 Pr55
Gag
although HIV-1 Vif proteins bind Pr55
Gag
less efficiently than those of BIV Vif. Our research not only sheds new light on this feature of these conserved lentiviral Vif proteins but also provides a formerly unrecognized target for the development of antiviral strategies. Since increasing the Vif-Pr55
Gag
interaction could potentially suppress virus proliferation, this approach could offer a new strategy for the development of HIV inhibitors.