bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface modification by plasma etching impairs early vascularization and tissue incorporation of porous polyethylene (Medpor®) implants
Authors: Laschke Matthias W. , Augustin Victor A. , Sahin Fadime , Anschütz Dieter , Metzger Wolfgang , Scheuer Claudia , Bischoff Markus , Aktas Cenk , Menger Michael D.
Published: September 2015

Porous polyethylene (Medpor®) is commonly used in craniofacial reconstructive surgery. Rapid vascularization and tissue incorporation are crucial for the prevention of migration, extrusion, and infection of the biomaterial. Therefore, we analyzed whether surface modification by plasma etching may improve the early tissue response to Medpor®. Medpor® samples were treated in a plasma chamber at low (20 W; LE‐PE) and high energy levels (40 W; HE‐PE). The samples and non‐treated controls were implanted into mouse dorsal skinfold chambers to analyze angiogenesis, inflammation, and granulation tissue formation over 14 days using intravital fluorescence microscopy, histology, and immunohistochemistry. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses revealed that elevating energy levels of plasma etching progressively increase the oxygen surface content and surface roughness of Medpor®. This did not affect the leukocytic response to the implants. However, LE‐PE and HE‐PE samples exhibited an impaired vascularization. This was associated with a reduced formation of a collagen‐rich granulation tissue at the implantation site. Additionalin vitroexperiments showed a reduced cell attachment on plasma‐etched Medpor®. Thus, plasma etching may not be recommended to improve the clinical outcome of reconstructive interventions using Medpor®. However, it may be beneficial for temporarily implanted polyethylene‐based biomedical devices for which tissue incorporation is undesirable. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 1738–1748, 2016.
Treatment of Lyme neuroborreliosis with plasmapheresis
Authors: Çelik Tamer , Çelik Ümit , Kömür Mustafa , Tolunay Orkun , Dönmezer Çiğdem , Yıldızdas Dinçer
Published: September 2015

Lyme disease is a rare tick‐borne multisystemic infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Different neurological conditions were reported in the disease. In this article, we present a 15‐year‐old patient hospitalized with ataxia who was diagnosed with Lyme neuroborreliosis. Intravenous immunoglobulin and ceftriaxone treatment was applied to the patient for 4 weeks. However, ataxia did not recover, upper and lower muscle weakness developed, and deep tendon reflexes diminished during follow‐up. The patient was diagnosed with Guillain–Barre syndrome arising from B. burgdorferi. Second dose of intravenous immunoglobulin treatment was started for 5 days but the patient didn't recover. Therefore administration of plasmapheresis was decided. All symptoms relieved following the plasmapheresis. The effect of plasmapheresis in pediatric neuroborreliosis has not been documented before. This study highlights that plasmapheresis could be a useful alternative for pediatric neuroborreliosis cases. J. Clin. Apheresis 31:476–478, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis and structural identification of fluorine‐18 labeled parathyroid hormone
Authors: Yang Yang , Richter Susan , Wuest Frank , Doschak Michael R.
Published: September 2015

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is an 84 amino acid peptide hormone that plays a key role in bone and mineral metabolism. The biological actions of PTH are mediated via the N‐terminal PTH(1–34) fragment, serving as the PTH receptor‐binding sequence, and which is therefore used clinically to treat conditions of low bone mass such as osteoporosis. In this study, PTH(1–34) was conjugated with non‐radioactive (stable F isotope) N‐succinimidyl 4‐fluorobenzoate (SFB) leading to three isomeric mono‐fluorobenzoated (FBz) PTH followed by Liquid chromatography‐Tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) assisted structural identification. Corresponding [18F]SFB‐labeled PTH derivatives were prepared respectively and the Lys13 site‐specific labeled [18F]FBz PTH was isolated by HPLC with radiochemical purity >99% and specific activity of 2.78 GBq/µmol, suitable for future application with in vivo pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies of PTH, using preclinical Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imaging.
Ultrastructure variation in the spermatozoa ofPseudopaludicolafrogs (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae), with brief comments on its phylogenetic relevance
Authors: dos Santos Julio Sérgio , Introíni Gisele Orlandi , Veiga‐Menoncello Ana Cristina Prado , Recco‐Pimentel Shirlei Maria
Published: September 2015

The taxonomic history of the small frogs of the genusPseudopaludicolafrom South America has been controversial. Phylogenetic inferences based on molecular data have identified fourPseudopaludicolaclades, correlating with the known variation in karyotypes (2n = 22, 20, 18, and 16). In this study, the ultrastructure of the spermatozoa was analyzed in 12 species of thePseudopaludicola, with the aim of describing their morphology and identifying characters that may contribute to a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships. The spermatozoa presented marked differences in tail structures. The tails of the spermatozoa of the species with 2n = 22 chromosomes (Pseudopaludicolasp. 1 [P. pusillagroup],Pseudopaludicola falcipes, P. mineira, andPseudopaludicola saltica), as well asPseudopaludicola ameghiniandPseudopaludicola ternetzi(2n=20), have juxta‐axonemal fibers, undulating membranes and axial fibers. In contrast, in the species with 2n = 18 (P. facureae, P. giarettai,Pseudopaludicola canga, P. atragula, andPseudopaludicolasp. 2) and 2n = 16 (Pseudopaludicola mystacalis), there are no evident axial or juxta‐axonemal fibers, but a paraxonemal rod with a thick undulating membrane, which is shorter than that found amongPseudopaludicolaspecies. The ultrastructural morphological differences observed in the spermatozoa of these species may be phylogenetically informative, given that they coincide with the consensus phylogeny of the group and appear to represent a progressive simplification of the spermatozoon. J. Morphol. 276:1495–1504, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Robotic‐assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy
Authors: Caputo Peter A. , Ko Oliver , Patel Rohun , Stein Robert
Published: September 2015

The introduction of robot‐assisted surgery has helped practitioners implement laparoscopic approached to complex retroperitoneal and renal surgery. Urologists are now more frequently completing surgeries such as radical nephroureterectomy, radical nephrectomy with IVC thrombectomy, and retroperitoneal lymphadentectomy via a laparoscopic approach than ever before. This review discusses the rational of the above surgeries as well as a technical step‐by‐step description of our robotic nephroureterectomy surgical approach. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015;112:723–727. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The efficacy of a combination non‐thermal focused ultrasound and radiofrequency device for noninvasive body contouring in Asians
Authors: Shek Samantha Y.N. , Yeung Chi K. , Chan Johnny C.Y. , Chan Henry H.L.
Published: September 2015

Background and Objective

Several studies have been published on the first generation non‐thermal focused ultrasound with an average improvement of 0–3.95 cm reported [1,2]. We aim to investigate the efficacy of the second‐generation non‐thermal focused ultrasound device with a combined radiofrequency hand piece. With the addition of radiofrequency energy, the temperature of the adipose tissue is raised before focused ultrasound is applied. This facilitates the mechanical disruption of fat cells by focused ultrasound.

Study Design and Methods

Twenty subjects were recruited and underwent three treatments biweekly. Caliper reading, abdominal circumference, and standardized photographs were taken with the Vectra® system at all visits. We aim to have the subjects stand and hold the same position and the photograph taken after exhalation. Caliper and circumference measurements carry uncertainty. It is impossible to eliminate all uncertainties but can be improved by having the same trained physician assistant perform the measurement at the same site and taking an average of three readings. Pain score and satisfaction were recorded by means of the visual analogue scale. The efficacy is defined by a statistically significant improvement in circumferential improvement based on intention‐to‐treat analysis.

Results

Seventeen subjects completed the treatment schedule. Abdominal circumference showed statistically significant improvement at 2 weeks post‐second treatment (P = 0.023) and almost all subsequent follow‐ups. Caliper readings were statistically significant at 2 weeks post‐second treatment (P = 0.013) and almost all follow‐ups. The mean pain score reported was 2.3 on the visual analog scale and 6% were unsatisfied with the overall treatments. Six incidents of wheal formation appeared immediately after treatment all of which subsided spontaneously within several hours.

Conclusion

The combination non‐thermal focused ultrasound and radiofrequency device is effective for improving body contour in Asians. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:203–207, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Difference in fascicle behaviors between superficial and deep quadriceps muscles during isometric contractions
Authors: Ando Ryosuke , Nosaka Kazunori , Inami Takayuki , Tomita Aya , Watanabe Kohei , Blazevich Anthony J. , Akima Hiroshi
Published: September 2015

Introduction

In this study we examined changes in fascicle length and pennation of vastus intermedius (VI) and vastus lateralis (VL) from rest to isometric contraction.

Methods

Fourteen healthy men performed submaximal (30% and 50% of maximal voluntary contraction; MVC) isometric knee extensions at 60° and 110° knee flexion (0° = full extension). Panoramic images of VL and VI were obtained at rest and during contractions to measure fascicle length and pennation using extended field‐of‐view ultrasonography, after confirmation that the technique could be used reliably during sustained submaximal isometric contractions.

Results

The relative change in fascicle length from rest to 50% MVC was greater in VI than VL at 110° (P < 0.05). Pennation increased during contraction at 60° for VL (P < 0.05), but not for VI.

Conclusion

Muscle‐dependent fascicle behaviors were observed during contraction. These findings may provide a mechanistic underpinning for differences in sarcomere length changes, relative force contribution, and blood flow during contraction. Muscle Nerve 53: 797–802, 2016
Differences in motor learning of pelvic floor muscle contraction between women with and without stress urinary incontinence: Evaluation by transabdominal ultrasonography
Authors: Yoshida Mikako , Murayama Ryoko , Hotta Kumi , Higuchi Yoshihide , Sanada Hiromi
Published: September 2015

Aims

To evaluate differences in motor learning of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contraction between women with and without stress urinary incontinence (SUI) under transabdominal ultrasonography (TAUS)‐guided PFM training.

Methods

Postpartum women received an intensive 3‐month PFM training program from 3 to 6 months postpartum. The program consisted of home exercises and weekly group sessions with individual TAUS‐guided training. Motor learning progress of PFM contraction was evaluated with TAUS at each weekly session. We regarded a woman who contracted her PFM correctly more than 9 times out of the 10 repetitions as having achieved the associative stage of motor learning. Women were evaluated before and after a 12‐week intervention for PFM and SUI by using transperineal ultrasonography and questionnaire, respectively.

Results

Seventy‐three women were included: 44 primiparous women (60.3%) and 64 vaginal deliveries (87.7%). Of 73 women, 22 (30.1%) were classified as the SUI group. By the fifth session, the proportion of women who could correctly contract their PFM > 9 out of the 10 repetitions had increased significantly more in the non‐SUI group than in the SUI group (90.0% vs. 58.8%, P = 0.011). The proportion of women achieving the associative stage of correct PFM contraction was not different between the two groups after the sixth session. PF morphology and SUI were improved after intervention (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The proportion of women achieving the associative stage in women with SUI was less than that in women without SUI in the early phase of the combination of group and home PFM training with TAUS‐guided training. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:98–103, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Long term sustained therapeutic effects of percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation treatment of neurogenic overactive bladder in multiple sclerosis patients: 12‐months results
Authors: Canbaz Kabay Sibel , Kabay Sahin , Mestan Emine , Cetiner Mustafa , Ayas Selahattin , Sevim Mehmet , Ozden Hilmi , Karaman Handan Ozisik
Published: September 2015

Aims

The aim of this study is to determine the sustained therapeutic efficacy and treatment intervals for PTNS in NOAB with MS, offering periodic additional treatments during 1 year in patients who completed an initial course of 12 consecutive weekly sessions.

Methods

A total of 34 patients enrolled to the PTNS treatment and 21 patients completed the 1 year PTNS treatment with a tapering protocol of 6, 9, and 12 months of therapy, respectively. After 12 weeks of therapy, PTNS was applied at 14 day intervals for 3 months, 21 day intervals for 3 months, and 28 day intervals for 3 months. The patients completed a 3‐day voiding diary at 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th month. The patients requested to complete validated questionnaires (ICIQ‐SF, OAB‐V8, OAB‐q SF) were carried out within 3‐month intervals thereafter during their enrolment in the study.

Results

A total of 21 patients were enrolled in the study. Of these 5 (23.8%) were men and 16 (76.2%) women. The improvements for all voiding diary parameters were significant in the 6th, 9th, and 12th months when compared with baseline. Mean values between baseline and 12 month parameters suggested that daytime frequency decreased by 5.4 voids daily, urge incontinence decreased by 3.4 episodes daily, urgency episodes decreased by 7.4 episodes daily, nocturia decreased by 2.6 voids, and voided volume improved by a mean of 72.1 cc.

Conclusion

These results have demonstrated NOAB symptom improvement in MS patients can be achieved with 12 weekly PTNS treatments which show excellent durability over 12 months. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:104–110, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Screening for depression and anxiety in patients with storage or voiding dysfunction: A retrospective cohort study predicting outcome of sacral neuromodulation
Authors: Drossaerts Jamie , Vrijens Desiree , Leue Carsten , Schilders Isabelle , Van Kerrebroeck Philip , van Koeveringe Gommert
Published: September 2015

Aims

It has been reported that somatic treatment in patients with affective symptoms has a higher risk of failure. The aim was to investigate whether affective symptoms could predict the outcome of sacral neuromodulation (SNM) for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Methods

All patients that underwent a SNM evaluation between 2006 and 2013 and filled out a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS) before treatment, were included. Chi‐square analysis and bivariate logistic regression were used to assess associations and predictive value.

Results

Eighty‐six patients were included, 65 females and 21 males. Most patients, 66, had overactive bladder syndrome (OAB). The remaining 20 patients suffered from non‐obstructive urinary retention (NOR). Thirty‐nine OAB patients and 17 NOR patients, had a normal total HADS score before treatment. Significantly more patients showed abnormal HADS‐D (P = 0.047) and HADS‐A (P = 0.015) scores in the OAB group compared to the NOR group. Success of SNM could not be predicted by the HADS score P = 0.464 (after 1 year P = 0.446). Subsequent analysis revealed that an abnormal HADS score was not related to the occurrence of SNM adverse events.

Conclusions

The present study did not reveal a significant relationship between an abnormal HADS score and failure of the SNM test period in a mixed group of OAB and NOR patients. However, differences between OAB and NOR patients concerning affective symptoms were present. It is known that psychological factors play a role in the severity of LUTS, but they may not predict SNM outcome. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:1011–1016, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Peroxide vulcanized EPDM rubber/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocomposites: Vulcanization behavior, mechanical properties, and thermal stability
Authors: Lee Kang‐Suk , Chang Young‐Wook
Published: September 2015

Effects of two different polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS), an acrylisobutyl POSS (AIBuPOSS) containing an acrylate group along with seven isobutyl group on its cage and an octaisobutyl POSS where the acrylate group is absent, on vulcanization behavior, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of peroxide vulcanized ethylene‐propylene‐diene rubber (EPDM) were investigated. The POSS was incorporated into the EPDM by melt mixing with POSS content of 0–10 part per hundred of rubber (phr). Oscillating disk rheometer analysis revealed that the acrylate group of the POSS are activated by dicumyl peroxide and improves the peroxide crosslinking efficiency of EPDM rubber. Solid state 29Si‐nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis and field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X‐ray analysis of the EPDM/POSS vulcanizates showed that the AIBuPOSS are covalently grafted onto the EPDM chain during vulcanization and are dispersed uniformly at the nanometer scale in the rubber matrix. The EPDM/AIBuPOSS nanocomposites exhibit great improvement in tensile, tear strength, and modulus with a concurrent increase in elongation‐at‐break. Enhanced thermal stability in the nanocomposite was also observed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2814–2820, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Foam extrusion of LDPE with solid phase CO2 as blowing agent
Authors: Hopmann Christian , Hendriks Sven , Feldges Robert
Published: September 2015

Physical foaming usually requires special metering equipment to inject the blowing agent at high pressures. In this study, low density polyethylene (LDPE) was foamed in the extrusion process using dry ice as physical blowing agent. The blowing agent was metered in form of pellets over the hopper. To determine relevant process parameters and improve the understanding of the process a melting model is applied. The influence of the formation of a melt film and melt pool on the dissolution of the blowing agent is discussed. The theoretical considerations are validated in a design of experiment study. As a result, the efficiency of the process is especially affected by the throughput rate, granules temperature, and blowing agent concentration. Further varied parameters are the barrel temperature in the melting zone and diameter of the dry ice pellets. Fast melting and pressure build‐up were shown to reduce blowing agent losses. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2821–2828, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Researching Projects and Theorizing Families of Temporary Organizations
Authors: Jacobsson Mattias , Lundin Rolf A. , Söderholm Anders
Published: September 2015

Following contemporary development in which most temporary, focused, and organized endeavors can be regarded as a project and studied as a temporary organization, here we ask: How can these phenomena be defined without hindering pluralism in understanding, development, and theorizing? Based on the notions of family resemblance—the idea that it is not a specific trait, but a variety of traits that are shared by some, but not all, members of a family—we propose a new dynamic framework we believe is useful in advancing the studies of projects and temporary organizations toward more opportunities for rigorous theorizing.
The Effectiveness of Portfolio Risk Diversification: An Additive Approach by Project Replication
Authors: Paquin Jean-Paul , Tessier David , Gauthier Céline
Published: September 2015

This article proposes a probabilistic approach to project operational risk and project portfolio risk diversification. The analysis rests on a fundamental distinction between a fractional and an additive approach for constructing portfolios. Since the additive approach excludes variance as a measure of risk, the project's operational risk is defined by its probability of loss. Paradoxically, the effectiveness of any firm's portfolio risk diversification process will be negatively related to the operational risk of its representative project. We also present the conditions under which risk management and efficiency management can contribute to the firm's strategic imperative of lowering its operational risk.
Band structure and decay channels of thorium‐229 low‐lying isomeric state for ensemble of thorium atoms adsorbed on calcium fluoride
Authors: Borisyuk Petr V. , Vasilyev Oleg S. , Krasavin Andrey V. , Lebedinskii Yury Yu. , Troyan Victor I. , Tkalya Eugene V.
Published: September 2015

The results are presented on the study of the electronic structure of thorium atoms adsorbed by the liquid atomic layer deposition from aqueous solution of thorium nitrate on the surface of CaF2. The chemical state of the atoms and the change of the band structure in the surface layers of Th/CaF2 system on CaF2 substrate were investigated by XPS and REELS techniques. It was found that REELS spectra for Th/CaF2 system include peaks in the region of low energy losses (3‐7 eV) which are missing in the similar spectra for pure CaF2. It is concluded that the presence of the observed features in the REELS spectra is associated with the chemical state of thorium atoms and is caused by the presence of uncompensated chemical bonds at the Th/CaF2 interface, and, therefore, by the presence of unbound 6d‐ and 7s‐electrons of thorium atoms. Assuming the equivalence of the electronic configuration of thorium‐229 and thorium‐232 atoms, an estimate was made on the time decay of the excited state of thorium‐229 nuclei through the channel of the electron conversion. It was found that the relaxation time is about 40 μs for 6d‐electrons, and about 1 μs for 7s‐electrons. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Community Physician-Guided Long-Term Domiciliary Oxygen Therapy Combined With Conventional Therapy in Stage IV COPD Patients
Authors: Bao Hong , Wang Jiaman , Zhou Ding , Han Zhaoyong , Zhang Yuan , Su Ling , Ye Xiong , Xu Chunyan , Fu Meihong , Li Qinghua
Published: September 2015

Purpose:

The aim of the study was to explore clinical effect of community physician-guided long-term domiciliary oxygen therapy (LTDOT) on patients with Stage IV chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Design:

A retrospective study.

Methods:

Fifty-four patients with Stage IV COPD were recruited and randomly divided into two groups (the LTDOT group and the control group). Patients in LTDOT group accepted additional oxygen therapy for more than 15 hours every day with continuous low flow (1–2 L/min) for 3 years.

Findings:

PaO2 (O2 pressure), FEV1/FVC (forced vital capacity), and FEV1% (percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 second) in the LTDOT group increased significantly after treatment. A significant decrease was observed on the BODE index in the LTDOT group (p < .05) but not in control group (p > .05). Frequencies and costs of hospitalization therapy and emergency medical services were markedly decreased after 3 years of LTDOT.

Conclusion:

Community physician-guided LTDOT can improve prognosis and reduce the costs for stage IV COPD patients.

Clinical Relevance:

Rehabilitation nurses can be instrumental in helping patients with stage IV COPD learn principles of LTDOT.
Unraveling the Effect of Homogenization Treatment on Decomposition of Austenite and Mechanical Properties of Low‐Alloyed TRIP Steel
Authors: Azizi Ghavam , Mirzadeh Hamed , Habibi Parsa Mohammad
Published: September 2015

The homogenization treatment is shown to have profound effects on the decomposition of austenite, suppression of microstructural banding, and work‐hardening capacity of transformation‐induced plasticity (TRIP) steels. Due to the similarity in the activity of carbon in different parts of the parent austenite phase and its extremely coarse grain size, a nearly full homogenization annealing results in the massive‐like transformation during subsequent decomposition of austenite at slow cooling rates.
Use of Femoral Nerve Blocks to Manage Hip Fracture Pain among Older Adults in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review
Authors: Riddell Madison , Ospina Maria , Holroyd-Leduc Jayna M.
Published: September 2015

Objective

Hip fractures are a common source of acute pain amongst the frail elderly. One potential technique to adequately manage pain in this population is the femoral nerve block. The objective of this systematic review was to provide updated evidence for the use of femoral nerve blocks as a pain management technique for older hip fracture patients in the emergency department (ED).

Data Sources

Searches of Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were conducted between December 2010 and May 2014. The reference list of a previous systematic review was also searched.

Study Selection

We included randomized control trials examining the use of femoral nerve blocks in the ED among older adults (65 years of age or older) with acute hip fracture.

Data Extraction

Among 93 citations reviewed, seven trials were included. Four studies employed a single femoral nerve block, while three studies employed continuous (catheter-placed) femoral blocks. All but one of the studies were found to have a high risk of bias.

Data Synthesis

All studies reported reductions in pain intensity with femoral nerve blocks. All but one study reported decreased rescue analgesia requirements. There were no adverse effects found to be associated with the femoral block procedure; rather, two studies found a decreased risk of adverse events such as respiratory and cardiac complications.

Conclusions

Femoral nerve blocks appear to have benefits both in terms of decreasing the pain experienced by older patients, as well as limiting the amount of systemic opioids administered to this population.
Best Practice Recommendations for Situational Judgment Tests
Authors: Pollard Stefanie , Cooper-Thomas Helena D.
Published: September 2015

Situational judgement tests (SJTs) are increasingly popular as part of selection procedures because of their strong psychometric properties. SJTs present test takers with job-related situations and a series of potential responses. The aim of this review article is to provide evidence-based recommendations for practitioners who are considering implementing SJTs for their clients, as well as offering an analysis of some key issues for academics. This research provides a review of the literature on SJTs to answer three questions: (1) What is the difference between framing questions either as what should you do versus what would you do? (2) What is the difference between multimedia-based and text-based SJTs? (3) What is the best process for SJT creation? Following this, recommendations are provided as follows: That responses are optimally framed in terms of what a respondent thinks s/he should do, not what s/he would do; that multimedia-based SJTs are used in preference to text-based SJTs; and a ‘best practice’ process for creating an SJT is outlined. Finally, the review includes a discussion of implications for creating tests that are inclusive of different ethnic groups, as well as ethical issues relating to the use of SJTs in selection.
The Proterozoic Record of Eukaryotes
Authors: Cohen Phoebe A. , Macdonald Francis A.
Published: September 2015

Proterozoic strata host evidence of global “Snowball Earth” glaciations, large perturbations to the carbon cycle, proposed changes in the redox state of oceans, the diversification of microscopic eukaryotes, and the rise of metazoans. Over the past half century, the number of fossils described from Proterozoic rocks has increased exponentially. These discoveries have occurred alongside an increased understanding of the Proterozoic Earth system and the geological context of fossil occurrences, including improved age constraints. However, the evaluation of relationships between Proterozoic environmental change and fossil diversity has been hampered by several factors, particularly lithological and taphonomic biases. Here we compile and analyze the current record of eukaryotic fossils in Proterozoic strata to assess the effect of biases and better constrain diversity through time. Our results show that mean within assemblage diversity increases through the Proterozoic Eon due to an increase in high diversity assemblages, and that this trend is robust to various external factors including lithology and paleogeographic location. In addition, assemblage composition changes dramatically through time. Most notably, robust recalcitrant taxa appear in the early Neoproterozoic Era, only to disappear by the beginning of the Ediacaran Period. Within assemblage diversity is significantly lower in the Cryogenian Period than in the preceding and following intervals, but the short duration of the nonglacial interlude and unusual depositional conditions may present additional biases. In general, large scale patterns of diversity are robust while smaller scale patterns are difficult to discern through the lens of lithological, taphonomic, and geographic variability.
Does the importance of dietary costs for fruit and vegetable intake vary by socioeconomic position?
Authors: Mackenbach Joreintje D. , Brage Soren , Forouhi Nita G. , Griffin Simon J. , Wareham Nicholas J. , Monsivais Pablo
Published: September 2015

Evidence suggests that diets meeting recommendations for fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake are more costly. Dietary costs may be a greater constraint on the diet quality of people of lower socioeconomic position (SEP). The aim of this study was to examine whether dietary costs are more strongly associated with F&V intake in lower-SEP groups than in higher-SEP groups. Data on individual participants’ education and income were available from a population-based, cross-sectional study of 10 020 British adults. F&V intake and dietary costs (GBP/d) were derived from a semi-quantitative FFQ. Dietary cost estimates were based on UK food prices. General linear models were used to assess associations between SEP, quartiles of dietary costs and F&V intake. Effect modification of SEP gradients by dietary costs was examined with interaction terms. Analysis demonstrated that individuals with lowest quartile dietary costs, low income and low education consumed less F&V than individuals with higher dietary costs, high income and high education. Significant interaction between SEP and dietary costs indicated that the association between dietary costs and F&V intake was stronger for less-educated and lower-income groups. That is, socioeconomic differences in F&V intake were magnified among individuals who consumed lowest-cost diets. Such amplification of socioeconomic inequalities in diet among those consuming low-cost diets indicates the need to address food costs in strategies to promote healthy diets. In addition, the absence of socioeconomic inequalities for individuals with high dietary costs suggests that high dietary costs can compensate for lack of other material, or psychosocial resources.
The metabolic effects of a commercially available chicken peri-peri (African bird’s eye chilli) meal in overweight individuals
Authors: Kroff Jacolene , Hume David J. , Pienaar Paula , Tucker Ross , Lambert Estelle V. , Rae Dale E.
Published: September 2015

A growing body of evidence suggests that capsaicin ingestion may lead to desirable metabolic outcomes; however, the results in humans are equivocal. Whether or not benefits may be gained from ingestion of capsaicin via a commercially available meal has not been determined. The objectives of this randomised, cross-over intervention study were to compare the 2 h postprandial effects of a standard commercially prepared meal containing chilli (HOT, 5·82 mg total capsaicinoids) with a similar meal with no chilli (CON, <1·0 mg total capsaicinoids) on resting energy expenditure, plasma insulin, glucose, serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations, core body temperature and forearm microvascular reactivity responses in overweight individuals. A total of thirty-four apparently healthy individuals (sixteen men and eighteen women) between 18 and 50 years of age, with a BMI >25 kg/m2 and a waist circumference >94 cm (men) or 80 cm (women), were studied. Participants had normal glucose tolerance and were accustomed, but were not regular chilli eaters. A paired t test indicated that insulin AUC was smaller following the HOT meal (P=0·002). Similarly, there was a tendency for glucose AUC to be reduced following the HOT meal (P=0·056). No discernable effects of the HOT meal were observed on metabolic rate, core temperature, hs-CRP concentrations and endothelial-dependent microvascular reactivity. The results from this study indicate that a standard restaurant meal containing a relatively small dose of capsaicin delivered via African bird’s eye chilli, which is currently available to the public, results in lower postprandial insulin concentrations in overweight individuals, compared with the same meal without chilli.
Egg and cholesterol intake and incident type 2 diabetes among French women
Authors: Lajous Martin , Bijon Anne , Fagherazzi Guy , Balkau Beverley , Boutron-Ruault Marie-Christine , Clavel-Chapelon Françoise
Published: September 2015

Egg consumption is a major source of dietary cholesterol, a nutrient that may disrupt glucose metabolism. We prospectively evaluated the relation between egg consumption and cholesterol-intake and diabetes in 65 364 French disease-free women who responded to a validated diet history questionnaire in 1993. Egg consumption included hardboiled eggs and eggs consumed in an omelette or a mixed dish, and dietary cholesterol was estimated using a French nutrient database. Over 14 years of follow-up, 1803 incident diabetes cases were identified through self-reports, supplementary questionnaires and drug reimbursement information. Multivariable Cox regression models were adjusted for age, education, menopause, menopausal hormone therapy, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia, BMI, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, fruit, vegetables, processed red meat, coffee and sugar and artificially sweetened beverages. No association was observed between egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. When comparing women who consumed at least five eggs per week with non-consumers, the multivariable hazard ratio (HR) was found to be 1·00 (95 % CI 0·78, 1·29; across categories, Ptrend=0·11). Women in the highest quintile of dietary cholesterol had a 40 % higher rate of diabetes compared with those in the lowest quintile (HR 1·40; 95 % CI 1·19, 1·63; across quintiles, Ptrend<0·0001). A 100 mg increase of dietary cholesterol per 4184 kJ (or 1000 kcal) was associated with a 14 % increase in the risk of diabetes (HR 1·14; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·26). In this large prospective cohort, we observed an association between dietary cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, but no association with egg consumption. In the absence of a clear underlying mechanism and potential residual confounding, these results should be interpreted with caution.
TESTING BOUNDARIES: DIVINATION AND PROPHECY IN LUCAN
Authors: Santangelo Federico
Published: September 2015

Lucan's Bellum Ciuile dates from the Neronian period and is strongly rooted in that historical context, but, as is well known, it offers plenty of food for thought to the student of late Republican religion and intellectual culture. The reading of the Civil War that it puts forward has major implications for our understanding of the ancient interpretations of that period. This is fully in keeping with the ambitions of Lucan himself, who set out to impose his work as a pervasive master-narrative of the late Republican age. The aim of this article is to pursue a narrow but important and often under-explored angle, and to assess the role of divination, especially of the prophetic kind, in the poem.
Greek History
Authors: Vlassopoulos Kostas
Published: September 2015

Four volumes in this review constitute important contributions to the study of ancient documents and their employment in antiquity, as well as their value for modern historical research. Paola Ceccarelli has written a monumental study of letter-writing and the use of writing for long-distance communication in Ancient Greece; Karen Radner has edited a volume on state correspondence in ancient empires; Christopher Eyre's book concerns documents in Pharaonic Egypt; and Peter Liddel and Polly Low have edited a brilliant collection on the uses of inscriptions in Greek and Latin literature. The first three volumes have major consequences for the study of the workings of ancient state systems, while those by Ceccarelli, Eyre, and Liddel and Low open new avenues into the study of the interrelationship between written documents and literature.
Nat Turner after 9/11: Kyle Baker's Nat Turner
Authors: BRUNO TIM
Published: September 2015

Scholars have questioned what Nat Turner meant to others in the past; in this article, I question what he means today. Reversing William Andrews's injunction to read “Prophet Nat's” 1831 insurrection through the US's encounter with religio-political terrorism on 9/11, I instead examine the effect September 11th has had on the rebel slave's contemporary afterlife. Ultimately this article asks what cultural work Nat Turner now performs, what his recent depictions tell us about the racial formations of the present. Drawing on comics theory, I parse the visual rhetoric of Kyle Baker's popular and increasingly studied comic Nat Turner, in which Baker tropes Nat Turner as Christ just as Nat Turner himself did in his Confessions. Baker produces an iconic black hero, one who is visually antithetical to racist images of “the terrorist” circulating in post-9/11 discourses. By doing so, Baker safeguards not only Nat Turner but US “blackness” from Islamophobia during the age of the global War on Terror. Finally, by reading Baker's comic alongside other recent, unexamined depictions of the rebel slave, this article updates the archive on Nat Turner and complicates the political possibilities that inhere in other sites of cultural memory.
Commercial and Regulatory Evolution of Legal Services: Implications for the Information Professional
Authors: Mayson Stephen
Published: September 2015

This Willi Steiner Memorial Lecture 2015, delivered by Professor Stephen Mayson2, explores the commercial evolution of law as a business, and draws attention to the disconnect between this development and continuing significant unmet need for legal services and prohibitively high fees for consumers and small businesses. The evolution is therefore supposed to be far from complete, and is hampered by the broken business model of law firms. A further shortcoming is the regulatory framework for legal services. Although this, too, has evolved in recent years with the introduction of the Legal Services Act 2007, the framework is nevertheless built on the still-complex and limiting structure of reserved activities, regulatory objectives and prescriptive detail. The author then explores the implications for information professionals, and highlights the opportunities for them to contribute to the development of ‘knowing management’, to the better education and training of legal practitioners, to helping them and their organisations address greater complexity and fluidity in regulation, and to harnessing market and client intelligence to improve the quality and relevance of legal services and the value of client relationships. The themes of cooperation, collaboration and connectivity underpin all of these opportunities, and contribute to the possibility of shaping and re-forming the role of the information professional in the 21st century.
Creating a Knowledge Business Strategy
Authors: Lustigman Allie
Published: September 2015

This article by Allie Lustigman gives recommendations for creating a knowledge business strategy. The steps outlined are based upon the premise of using a strategy to review the information service and formulate a clear plan for the future function, particularly in terms of expanding the service; however, they can be applied to differing types of strategies. The article looks at various methods in which a review can be carried out and then outlines the strategy document itself, summarising the different sections that make up the document. Additionally, this article looks into the uses and benefits of creating a business strategy for the information professional.
George Sand and Music Ethnography in Nineteenth-Century France
Authors: Marcoline Anne
Published: September 2015

In Les Visions de la nuit dans les campagnes (1851–1853), George Sand responded to the French government’s newly announced project of collecting the ‘popular’ or folk songs of France, with a critique of their methods of collection as perfunctory. Sand was adamant not only about a more rigorous approach to amassing the nation’s folk songs but also about the inclusion of the music with the lyrics, and her concise, insightful critique of archival methods came after nearly two decades of her own occupation with rendering music in her fiction and, more immediately, a decade focused on folk music in many of what are known as her ‘rustic’ novels. In particular, I bring to the fore in this article discussions in Sand’s expansive novel Consuelo; La Comtesse de Rudolstadt (1842–1844) which both insist upon the historical, cultural and personal significance of the preservation of folk music and navigate the tensions of preserving an art form that is fundamentally non-static and ephemeral, in order to articulate the value Sand places on musical sensibility, memory and heritage. I argue that Les Visions de la nuit dans les campagnes stands along with Sand’s fiction as an ardent defense against the loss of the musical heritage of provincial France in the hands of the state’s archivists. This article thus situates George Sand’s investment in the cultural production from the Berry region within the early history of nineteenth-century music ethnography in France, while maintaining Sand’s own understanding of her cultural production as poetic rather than scientific.
Absence of RIPK3 predicts necroptosis resistance in malignant melanoma
Authors: Geserick P , Wang J , Schilling R , Horn S , Harris P A , Bertin J , Gough P J , Feoktistova M , Leverkus M
Published: September 2015

Acquired or intrinsic resistance to apoptotic and necroptotic stimuli is considered a major hindrance of therapeutic success in malignant melanoma. Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are important regulators of apoptotic and necroptotic cell death mediated by numerous cell death signalling platforms. In this report we investigated the impact of IAPs for cell death regulation in malignant melanoma. Suppression of IAPs strongly sensitized a panel of melanoma cells to death ligand-induced cell death, which, surprisingly, was largely mediated by apoptosis, as it was completely rescued by addition of caspase inhibitors. Interestingly, the absence of necroptosis signalling correlated with a lack of receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK3) mRNA and protein expression in all cell lines, whereas primary melanocytes and cultured nevus cells strongly expressed RIPK3. Reconstitution of RIPK3, but not a RIPK3-kinase dead mutant in a set of melanoma cell lines overcame CD95L/IAP antagonist-induced necroptosis resistance independent of autocrine tumour necrosis factor secretion. Using specific inhibitors, functional studies revealed that RIPK3-mediated mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) phosphorylation and necroptosis induction critically required receptor-interacting protein kinase-1 signalling. Furthermore, the inhibitor of mutant BRAF Dabrafenib, but not Vemurafenib, inhibited necroptosis in melanoma cells whenever RIPK3 is present. Our data suggest that loss of RIPK3 in melanoma and selective inhibition of the RIPK3/MLKL axis by BRAF inhibitor Dabrafenib, but not Vemurafenib, is critical to protect from necroptosis. Strategies that allow RIPK3 expression may allow unmasking the necroptotic signalling machinery in melanoma and points to reactivation of this pathway as a treatment option for metastatic melanoma.
ER stress induces NLRP3 inflammasome activation and hepatocyte death
Authors: Lebeaupin C , Proics E , de Bieville C H D , Rousseau D , Bonnafous S , Patouraux S , Adam G , Lavallard V J , Rovere C , Le Thuc O , Saint-Paul M C , Anty R , Schneck A S , Iannelli A , Gugenheim J , Tran A , Gual P , Bailly-Maitre B
Published: September 2015

The incidence of chronic liver disease is constantly increasing, owing to the obesity epidemic. However, the causes and mechanisms of inflammation-mediated liver damage remain poorly understood. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is an initiator of cell death and inflammatory mechanisms. Although obesity induces ER stress, the interplay between hepatic ER stress, NLRP3 inflammasome activation and hepatocyte death signaling has not yet been explored during the etiology of chronic liver diseases. Steatosis is a common disorder affecting obese patients; moreover, 25% of these patients develop steatohepatitis with an inherent risk for progression to hepatocarcinoma. Increased plasma LPS levels have been detected in the serum of patients with steatohepatitis. We hypothesized that, as a consequence of increased plasma LPS, ER stress could be induced and lead to NLRP3 inflammasome activation and hepatocyte death associated with steatohepatitis progression. In livers from obese mice, administration of LPS or tunicamycin results in IRE1α and PERK activation, leading to the overexpression of CHOP. This, in turn, activates the NLRP3 inflammasome, subsequently initiating hepatocyte pyroptosis (caspase-1, -11, interleukin-1β secretion) and apoptosis (caspase-3, BH3-only proteins). In contrast, the LPS challenge is blocked by the ER stress inhibitor TUDCA, resulting in: CHOP downregulation, reduced caspase-1, caspase-11, caspase-3 activities, lowered interleukin-1β secretion and rescue from cell death. The central role of CHOP in mediating the activation of proinflammatory caspases and cell death was characterized by performing knockdown experiments in primary mouse hepatocytes. Finally, the analysis of human steatohepatitis liver biopsies showed a correlation between the upregulation of inflammasome and ER stress markers, as well as liver injury. We demonstrate here that ER stress leads to hepatic NLRP3 inflammasome pyroptotic death, thus contributing as a novel mechanism of inflammation-mediated liver injury in chronic liver diseases. Inhibition of ER-dependent inflammasome activation and cell death pathways may represent a potential therapeutic approach in chronic liver diseases.