bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating radiocarpal cartilage matrix changes 3‐months after anti‐TNF treatment for rheumatoid arthritis using MR T1ρ imaging
Authors: Ku Eric , Pedoia Valentina , Tanaka Matthew , Heilmeier Ursula , Imboden John , Graf Jonathan , Link Thomas , Li Xiaojuan
Published: September 2016

Purpose

To evaluate the feasibility of MR T1ρ in assessing radiocarpal cartilage matrix changes following rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment.

Materials and Methods

Five healthy controls and nine RA patients were studied: three RA patients with low disease activity that were treated with methotrexate (MTX) alone and six with active disease despite MTX treatment who were additionally treated with certolizumab pegol, an anti‐tumor necrosis factor biologic. Wrist 3 Tesla MRI were acquired at baseline and 3‐month follow‐up. T1ρ were quantified for lunar, radius, and scaphoid cartilage. Reproducibility was evaluated using coefficients of variation (CV). Longitudinal changes were evaluated with t‐test and relationships between T1ρ with clinical, MRI, and patient‐reported outcomes were evaluated with Spearman's rho.

Results

Scan/re‐scan CVs of T1ρ values were all <5%, and intra‐ and inter‐reader CVs were all < 2.0%. Baseline scaphoid T1ρ values were significantly higher in RA patients compared with healthy controls (P = 0.032). Changes in T1ρ (baseline, 3‐month) were correlated with EULAR treatment response criteria: −2.26 ± 0.75 ms, 1.08 ± 0.52 ms, and 2.18 ± 0.45 ms for good, moderate, and nonresponders, respectively. Significant correlations were found between changes in global T1ρ values and changes in DAS28‐CRP (rs = 0.683; P = 0.042), MHQ (rs = −0.783; P = 0.013), and HAQ (rs = 0.833; P = 0.010).

Conclusion

Despite the limited sample size and follow‐up time points, there were significant correlations between changes in radiocarpal T1ρ and changes in disease activity as assessed by clinical and patient‐reported outcomes. Our findings encourage further research into MR T1ρ assessment of RA disease activity and treatment response.

Level of Evidence: 1

J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;45:1514–1522
Diagnostic performance of diffusion tensor imaging parameters in breast cancer and correlation with the prognostic factors
Authors: Onaygil Can , Kaya Handan , Ugurlu Mustafa Umit , Aribal Erkin
Published: September 2016

Purpose

To evaluate the diagnostic performances of the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters in the diagnosis of breast cancer and to investigate the variations in DTI parameters according to the breast cancer biomarkers.

Materials and Methods

At 3.0 Tesla (T), DTI was performed in 85 patients with 92 enhancing breast lesions. λ1, λ2, λ3, mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), fractional anisotropy (FA), relative anisotropy (RA), and geodesic anisotropy (GA) were studied and compared with diffusion‐weighted imaging‐derived apparent diffusion coefficient. Lesions were analyzed according to BIRADS lexicon. Logistic regression models were constructed to determine the contribution of DTI to the specificity and the accuracy of DCE‐MRI. Breast cancer biomarkers; estrogen receptor (ER), HER‐2 status, and Ki‐67 were correlated with DTI in malignant cases.

Results

Malignant lesions exhibited significantly lower MD, RD, λ1, λ2, λ3 and higher FA, RA, GA values (P <  0.001). Logistic regression models showed that MD, RD, λ1, λ2, λ3, FA, and RA increase the specificity of the DCE‐MRI (from 83.0% to 89.4–93.6%; P <  0.05). Higher RD, λ2, λ3 and lower FA, RA, and GA values were observed in ER‐negative breast cancer (P <  0.05). Ki‐67 showed significant, negative correlation with FA, RA, GA, λ1‐λ3 and λ1‐λ2 (r = ‐0.336 to ‐0.435; P <  0.05).

Conclusion

Besides its ability to differentiate malignant breast lesions, DTI improves the specificity of conventional 3.0T breast MRI and shows correlation with biomarkers ER and Ki‐67.

Level of Evidence: 1

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:660–672.
A one‐step matrix application method for MALDI mass spectrometry imaging of bacterial colony biofilms
Authors: Li Bin , Comi Troy J. , Si Tong , Dunham Sage J. B. , Sweedler Jonathan V.
Published: September 2016

Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging of biofilms cultured on agar plates is challenging because of problems related to matrix deposition onto agar. We describe a one‐step, spray‐based application of a 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid solution for direct matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging of hydrated Bacillus subtilis biofilms on agar. Using both an optimized airbrush and a home‐built automatic sprayer, region‐specific distributions of signaling metabolites and cannibalistic factors were visualized from B. subtilis cells cultivated on biofilm‐promoting medium. The approach provides a homogeneous, relatively dry coating on hydrated samples, improving spot to spot signal repeatability compared with sieved matrix application, and is easily adapted for imaging a range of agar‐based biofilms. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of chemical ingredients of peanut stems and leaves extracts using UPLC‐QTOF‐MS coupled with novel informatics UNIFI platform
Authors: Deng Lei , Shi Ai‐Min , Liu Hong‐Zhi , Meruva Naren , Liu Li , Hu Hui , Yang Ying , Huang Chun , Li Peng , Wang Qiang
Published: September 2016

Peanut stems and leaves have been used traditionally as both herbal medicines and special food in Asia. In this study, the main functional compounds of peanut stems and leaves extracts were identified using UPLC separation coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (QTOF‐MS), and a traditional medicine library. Three different extraction solvents (ethyl acetate, petroleum ether and n‐butanol) were evaluated to prepare the extracts of peanut stems and leaves. A total of 283 chemical compounds were identified in peanut stems and leaves extracts, of which 207 compounds are tentatively new identifications in Genus Arachis. The integration of data acquisition and processing with the traditional medicine library provides a simple, efficient process to effectively facilitate the identification of chemical ingredients in complex natural product extracts. The integrated workflow for separation, detection and identification of functional compounds in natural products using UPLC/QTOF‐MS greatly improves productivity for development of traditional herbal medicines. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Graded fear generalization enhances the level of cfos‐positive neurons specifically in the basolateral amygdala
Authors: Rajbhandari Abha K. , Zhu Ruoyan , Adling Cora , Fanselow Michael S. , Waschek James A.
Published: September 2016

Fear is an important emotional reaction in response to threatening stimuli and is important for survival. However, when fear occurs in inappropriate circumstances, it can lead to pathological conditions including an increased vulnerability for developing anxiety disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Patients with PTSD generalize fear to contexts or to environments that are not associated with the trauma. We sought to explore if increasing the level of dissimilarity relative to the context in which mice learn fear results in changes in the level of fear responding to the new context. We also determined with this procedure if the number of cells expressing the immediate early gene cfos changes with the corresponding level of expressed fear within brain regions known to be important in modulating fear, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and hippocampus. Our results indicate that mice that were tested in increasingly different contexts showed significantly different levels of fear responses. Freezing level was higher in the context most similar to the acquisition context than the one that was highly different. The level of cfos within the BLA, but not hippocampus, was also significantly different between the test contexts, with higher levels in the somewhat similar compared with the most different context. Overall, these results highlight the BLA as a critical region in the node of fear circuitry for modulating fear generalization. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Financial Risk Tolerance among Indian Investors: A Multiple Discriminant Modeling of Determinants
Authors: Mishra Manit , Mishra Sasmita
Published: September 2016

Above‐average risk tolerance is strongly associated with greater materialism, younger age, and male gender, while a variety of characteristics comprising materialism, age, gender, and ratio of earnings to total family members discriminate between the risk tolerance levels of individual investors.
The Influence of e‐CRM Competitive Advantage on e‐CRM Performance in the Indian Banking Industry
Authors: Kaur Jasveen , Kaur Baljit
Published: September 2016

e‐CRM competitive advantage attained through e‐CRM tools and techniques is a positive indicator of the financial and non‐financial performance of the banks in India, thereby boosting the overall banks’ profitability.
Antecedents of Intention to Use Green Banking Services in India
Authors: Bryson Douglas , Atwal Glyn , Chaudhuri Anindita , Dave Kartik
Published: September 2016

Banks in India face opportunities to innovate to meet changing expectations regarding green banking practices.
Lifting the Urban Poor Out of Poverty: Assessing the Role of Non‐banking Financial Institutions in India
Authors: Sayed Yasmin , Ghalib Asad K.
Published: September 2016

Four Indian urban‐focused non‐banking financial companies show interesting evidence of success, particularly in terms of their outreach and financial sustainability.
Microfinance Spurs Microenterprise Development: An Exploration of the Latent Processes
Authors: Panda Debadutta K.
Published: September 2016

Intermediation services, entrepreneurial finance, peer support, personal attributes, family attributes, and locational attributes led to microenterprise development in Indian microfinance programs.
Do surgical interventions for limb lymphoedema reduce cellulitis attack frequency?
Authors: Sharkey Amy R. , King Samuel W. , Ramsden Alexander J. , Furniss Dominic
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Recurrent cellulitis is a frequent and challenging complication of lymphoedema. British Lymphology Society cellulitis guidelines state that decongestive lymphatic therapy reduces the frequency of cellulitis attacks, but do not mention the effect of surgical interventions.

This systematic review aims to assess whether surgical interventions for lymphoedema reduce the frequency of attacks of cellulitis.

Materials and methods

Embase, Medline, and the Cochrane database were searched for relevant articles from database inception to January 2016. Four hundred and thirty‐six abstracts were retrieved. Studies were included which contained quantitative data on cellulitis incidence before and after a surgical intervention. Two independent reviewers applied selection criteria, selecting 27 papers for full text review. Two were unavailable in the UK from any source.

Results

A variety of surgical techniques were utilized in the 25 papers included: lymphaticovenous anastomosis, superficial‐to‐deep lymphaticolymphatic anastomosis, lymph node transfer, Charles procedure, muscle flap transfer, Homan's procedure, and subcutaneous tissue excision below skin flaps. Five studies combined techniques. One study compared the intervention to a control group (physical therapy). Cellulitis incidence was decreased following surgical intervention in 24/25 studies included. Eight had quantifiable reductions in cellulitis over a set follow‐up period; in the other 16 preoperative incidence was not precisely defined.

Conclusion

Surgery appears effective at reducing cellulitis incidence in lymphoedema. However, high quality evidence from randomized controlled trials is lacking. Future research should concentrate on comparison with control groups, for example compression alone versus compression with surgical intervention, in patients with lymphoedema and greater than two attacks of cellulitis per year.
On efficiency of multistage channel with bargaining over wholesale prices
Authors: Zhong Feimin , Xie Jinxing , Zhao Xiaobo , Shen Zuo‐Jun Max
Published: September 2016

This article considers a multistage channel with deterministic price‐sensitive demand. Two systems for pricing decisions, that is, the bargaining system and the leader‐follower system, are compared. We characterize the necessary and sufficient conditions on the power structure, under which the solution of the bargaining system Pareto dominates that of the leader‐follower system. Also, under such conditions, we give a tight upper bound of channel efficiency of the bargaining system, which converges to 100% channel efficiency as the number of stages increases to infinity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 63: 449–459, 2016
An efficient dense and stable particular elements generation method based on geometry
Authors: OuYang Y. P. , Yang Q. , Yu L.
Published: September 2016

In this paper, a new discrete elements generation method based on geometry is proposed to fill geometric domains with particles (disks or spheres). By generating particles each one with a random radius or with a radius calculated from the iteration to ensure no overlaps exist between particles and identifying unstable particles and changing them to stable ones, a dense and stable packing can be created. A partitioning particle radius interval method and a particle stability inspection and improvement method are introduced to guarantee the algorithm's success and the stability of the particles. Some packings were created to evaluate the performances of the new method. The results showed that the algorithm was very efficient and was able to create isotropic packings of low porosities and large coordinate numbers. The partitioning particle radius interval method improved the generation efficiency significantly and increased the packing densities. Through the comparisons with several existing methods proposed recently, the method proposed in this work is found to be more efficient and can fill geometric domains with the lowest porosities. In addition, the stability of the particles is guaranteed and no complex triangular or tetrahedral mesh is required in particle generation, thereby making the new method simpler. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling crack discontinuities without element‐partitioning in the extended finite element method
Authors: Chin E. B. , Lasserre J. B. , Sukumar N.
Published: September 2016

In this paper, we model crack discontinuities in two‐dimensional linear elastic continua using the extended finite element method without the need to partition an enriched element into a collection of triangles or quadrilaterals. For crack modeling in the extended finite element, the standard finite element approximation is enriched with a discontinuous function and the near‐tip crack functions. Each element that is fully cut by the crack is decomposed into two simple (convex or nonconvex) polygons, whereas the element that contains the crack tip is treated as a nonconvex polygon. On using Euler's homogeneous function theorem and Stokes's theorem to numerically integrate homogeneous functions on convex and nonconvex polygons, the exact contributions to the stiffness matrix from discontinuous enriched basis functions are computed. For contributions to the stiffness matrix from weakly singular integrals (because of enrichment with asymptotic crack‐tip functions), we only require a one‐dimensional quadrature rule along the edges of a polygon. Hence, neither element‐partitioning on either side of the crack discontinuity nor use of any cubature rule within an enriched element are needed. Structured finite element meshes consisting of rectangular elements, as well as unstructured triangular meshes, are used. We demonstrate the flexibility of the approach and its excellent accuracy in stress intensity factor computations for two‐dimensional crack problems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The genetics and pathology of mitochondrial disease
Authors: Alston Charlotte L , Rocha Mariana C , Lax Nichola Z , Turnbull Doug M , Taylor Robert W
Published: September 2016

Mitochondria are double‐membrane‐bound organelles that are present in all nucleated eukaryotic cells and are responsible for the production of cellular energy in the form of ATP. Mitochondrial function is under dual genetic control – the 16.6‐kb mitochondrial genome, with only 37 genes, and the nuclear genome, which encodes the remaining ∼1300 proteins of the mitoproteome. Mitochondrial dysfunction can arise because of defects in either mitochondrial DNA or nuclear mitochondrial genes, and can present in childhood or adulthood in association with vast clinical heterogeneity, with symptoms affecting a single organ or tissue, or multisystem involvement. There is no cure for mitochondrial disease for the vast majority of mitochondrial disease patients, and a genetic diagnosis is therefore crucial for genetic counselling and recurrence risk calculation, and can impact on the clinical management of affected patients. Next‐generation sequencing strategies are proving pivotal in the discovery of new disease genes and the diagnosis of clinically affected patients; mutations in >250 genes have now been shown to cause mitochondrial disease, and the biochemical, histochemical, immunocytochemical and neuropathological characterization of these patients has led to improved diagnostic testing strategies and novel diagnostic techniques. This review focuses on the current genetic landscape associated with mitochondrial disease, before focusing on advances in studying associated mitochondrial pathology in two, clinically relevant organs – skeletal muscle and brain. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Novel insights into the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of the CFTR metabolic syndrome/CF screen positive indeterminate diagnosis
Authors: Machogu Evans , Ren Clement L.
Published: September 2016

The growth of cystic fibrosis newborn screening (CF NBS) has led to an increased number of infants with a positive NBS test but inconclusive CF diagnostic testing. In the USA this condition is called CFTR related metabolic syndrome (CRMS), while in Europe the term CF screen positive, inconclusive diagnosis (CFSPID) is used. Recent advances in CF genetics and epidemiologic studies of CRMS/CFSPID have provided new insights into the prevalence and outcomes associated with this condition. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:S45–S48. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Early detection and sensitive monitoring of CF lung disease: Prospects of improved and safer imaging
Authors: Mall Marcus A. , Stahl Mirjam , Graeber Simon Y. , Sommerburg Olaf , Kauczor Hans‐Ulrich , Wielpütz Mark O.
Published: September 2016

Recent imaging studies using chest computed tomography (CT) in presymptomatic infants and young children with cystic fibrosis (CF) diagnosed by newborn screening presented compelling evidence of early onset and progression of structural lung damage in CF. These data argue persuasively that non‐invasive outcome measures for early detection and sensitive monitoring of lung disease applicable in the clinical setting will be instrumental for further improvement of clinical care and the development of early intervention therapies that have the potential to prevent irreversible lung damage. In this context, the use of CT imaging for early detection and long‐term monitoring has the disadvantage of the risk to induce malignancies due to cumulating ionizing radiation exposure. More recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as an alternative radiation‐free imaging technique for quantitative assessment of CF lung disease. In addition to structural lung damage, chest MRI enables non‐invasive assessment of abnormalities in lung perfusion and ventilation characteristically associated with mucus plugging in CF lung disease. Here, we review recent developments and the prospects of MRI for improved and safer imaging with a focus on recent studies that support its utility as a sensitive non‐invasive outcome measure of early lung disease in young children with CF. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:S49–S60. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Individualized medicine using intestinal responses to CFTR potentiators and correctors
Authors: Beekman Jeffrey M.
Published: September 2016

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators that target the mutant CFTR protein are being introduced for treatment of cystic fibrosis. Stratification of subjects based on their CFTR genotype has been proven essential to demonstrate clinical efficacy of these novel treatments. Despite this stratification, considerable heterogeneity between subjects receiving CFTR modulators is still observed which remains largely uncharacterized. The CFTR genotype, and additional genetic and environmental factors that impact either tissue‐specific CFTR protein characteristics or the pharmacokinetic properties of treatments will likely determine the individual response to therapy. The development of intestinal biomarkers for CFTR modulators may help to better quantitate individual responses to treatment, with potential to optimize treatments for subjects with limited responses, and the selection of responsive subjects that currently do not receive treatments. Here, recent advances concerning the use of intestinal biomarkers for CFTR modulator treatments are reviewed, with a focus on biomarkers of CFTR function in ex vivo rectal biopsies and in vitro cultured primary intestinal organoids. Their potential value is considered in the context of the current unmet needs for better treatments for the majority of subjects with CF, and individual biomarkers that enable the prediction of long term therapeutic responses to CFTR modulators. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:S23–S34. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Predicting Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Concentrations in the Air of Shahr‐e Ray City, Iran, by Using an Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Asadollahfardi Gholamreza , Madinejad Mahdi , Aria Shiva Homayoun , Motamadi Vahid
Published: September 2016

Particulate matter (PM), along with other air pollutants, pose serious hazards to human health. The Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is a branch of artificial intelligence that has an ability to make accurate predictions. In this article, the authors describe such methods and how historical data on air quality, moisture, wind velocity, and temperature in Shahr‐e Ray City, located at the southern tip of Tehran, was used to train an ANN to provide accurate predictions of PM concentrations. The availability of such predictions can offer significant assistance to those who are working to reduce air pollution.
Environmental Aggression in the Context of Contemporary International Law
Authors: Filho Armando Gallo Yahn
Published: September 2016

The interpretations of international law vary according to its history and context. Rethinking the concept of international aggression, based on the historical evolution of international law and the teleology that moves the United Nations, it is possible to interpret the environment not only as a cause and effect of aggression, but also as a weapon. This article explores the evolution of international environmental law and the recognition that deliberate harm to the environment during acts of aggression are now considered potentially illegal actions against populations and their economic security.
Coal Combustion Product: Nonhazardous Material for Mine Fill
Authors: Rani Radha , Jain Manish Kumar
Published: September 2016

As is the case in many other countries around the world, India's main source of electricity is coal‐fired power plants. In addition to providing energy, the burning of coal also results in large amounts of coal combustion products (CCP), the incombustible material, such as fly ash, left after the coal is burned. These materials are produced in large volume, and if they are not managed or utilized properly, they can pose a danger to the environment. This article discusses the uses of CCP, with a special emphasis on fly ash, and the role that it is currently playing and can continue to play as a mine filler for India's depleted opencast and underground coal mines.
Contemporary evidence-based practice in Canadian emergency medical services: a vision for integrating evidence into clinical and policy decision-making
Authors: Jensen Jan L. , Travers Andrew H.
Published: September 2016

Nationally, emphasis on the importance of evidence-based practice (EBP) in emergency medicine and emergency medical services (EMS) has continuously increased. However, meaningful incorporation of effective and sustainable EBP into clinical and administrative decision-making remains a challenge. We propose a vision for EBP in EMS: Canadian EMS clinicians and leaders will understand and use the best available evidence for clinical and administrative decision-making, to improve patient health outcomes, the capability and quality of EMS systems of care, and safety of patients and EMS professionals. This vision can be implemented with the use of a structure, process, system, and outcome taxonomy to identify current barriers to true EBP, to recognize the opportunities that exist, and propose corresponding recommended strategies for local EMS agencies and at the national level. Framing local and national discussions with this approach will be useful for developing a cohesive and collaborative Canadian EBP strategy.
Analyses of external and global intermittency in the logarithmic layer of Ekman flow
Authors: Ansorge Cedrick , Mellado Juan Pedro
Published: September 2016

Existence of non-turbulent flow patches in the vicinity of the wall of a turbulent flow is known as global intermittency. Global intermittency challenges the conventional statistics approach when describing turbulence in the inner layer and calls for the use of conditional statistics. We extend the vorticity-based conditioning of a flow to turbulent and non-turbulent sub-volumes by a high-pass filter operation. This modified method consistently detects non-turbulent flow patches in the outer and inner layers for stratifications ranging from the neutral limit to extreme stability, where the flow is close to a complete laminarization. When applying this conditioning method to direct numerical simulation data of stably stratified Ekman flow, we find the following. First, external intermittency has a strong effect on the logarithmic law for the mean velocity in Ekman flow under neutral stratification. If instead of the full field, only turbulent sub-volumes are considered, the data fit an idealized logarithmic velocity profile much better; in particular, a problematic dip in the von Kármán measure$\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$in the surface layer is decreased by approximately 50 % and our data only support the reduced range$0.41\lesssim \unicode[STIX]{x1D705}\lesssim 0.43$. Second, order-one changes in turbulent quantities under strong stratification can be explained by a modulation of the turbulent volume fraction rather than by a structural change of individual turbulence events; within the turbulent fraction of the flow, the character of individual turbulence events measured in terms of turbulence dissipation rate or variance of velocity fluctuations is similar to that under neutral stratification.
Faraday instability on a sphere: Floquet analysis
Authors: Ebo Adou Ali-higo , Tuckerman Laurette S.
Published: September 2016

Standing waves appear at the surface of a spherical viscous liquid drop subjected to radial parametric oscillation. This is the spherical analogue of the Faraday instability. Modifying the Kumar & Tuckerman (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 279, 1994, pp. 49–68) planar solution to a spherical interface, we linearize the governing equations about the state of rest and solve the resulting equations by using a spherical harmonic decomposition for the angular dependence, spherical Bessel functions for the radial dependence and a Floquet form for the temporal dependence. Although the inviscid problem can, like the planar case, be mapped exactly onto the Mathieu equation, the spherical geometry introduces additional terms into the analysis. The dependence of the threshold on viscosity is studied and scaling laws are found. It is shown that the spherical thresholds are similar to the planar infinite-depth thresholds, even for small wavenumbers for which the curvature is high. A representative time-dependent Floquet mode is displayed.
Exploring the severely confined regime in Rayleigh–Bénard convection
Authors: Chong Kai Leong , Xia Ke-Qing
Published: September 2016

We study the effect of severe geometrical confinement in Rayleigh–Bénard convection with a wide range of width-to-height aspect ratio $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$, $1/128\leqslant \unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}\leqslant 1$, and Rayleigh number $Ra$, $3\times 10^{4}\leqslant Ra\leqslant 1\times 10^{11}$, at a fixed Prandtl number of $Pr=4.38$ by means of direct numerical simulations in Cartesian geometry with no-slip walls. For convection under geometrical confinement (decreasing $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$ from 1), three regimes can be recognized (Chong et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 115, 2015, 264503) based on the global and local properties in terms of heat transport, plume morphology and flow structures. These are Regime I: classical boundary-layer-controlled regime; Regime II: plume-controlled regime; and Regime III: severely confined regime. The study reveals that the transition into Regime III leads to totally different heat and momentum transport scalings and flow topology from the classical regime. The convective heat transfer scaling, in terms of the Nusselt number $Nu$, exhibits the scaling $Nu-1\sim Ra^{0.61}$ over three decades of $Ra$ at $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}=1/128$, which contrasts sharply with the classical scaling $Nu-1\sim Ra^{0.31}$ found at $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}=1$. The flow in Regime III is found to be dominated by finger-like, long-lived plume columns, again in sharp contrast with the mushroom-like, fragmented thermal plumes typically observed in the classical regime. Moreover, we identify a Rayleigh number for regime transition, $Ra^{\ast }=(29.37/\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4})^{3.23}$, such that the scaling transition in $Nu$ and $Re$ can be clearly demonstrated when plotted against $Ra/Ra^{\ast }$.
Comparative risk of self-harm hospitalization amongst depressive disorder patients using different antidepressants: a population-based cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Wu C.-S. , Liao S.-C. , Tsai Y.-T. , Chang S.-S. , Tsai H.-J.
Published: September 2016

Background

The aim of the study was to evaluate the comparative risk of self-harm associated with the use of different antidepressants.

Method

A cohort study was conducted using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2001 to 2012. A total of 751 606 new antidepressant users with depressive disorders were included. The study outcome was hospitalization due to self-harm (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes: E950–E958 and E980–E988). Cox proportional hazards models with stratification of the propensity score deciles were used to estimate the hazard ratios of self-harm hospitalization during the first year following the initiation of antidepressant treatment.

Results

There were 1038 hospitalization episodes due to self-harm that occurred during the follow-up of 149 796 person-years, with an overall incidence rate of 6.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.5–7.4] per 1000. Compared with fluoxetine, the risk of self-harm hospitalization was higher for maprotiline [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 3.00, 95% CI 1.40–6.45], milnacipran (aHR = 2.34, 95% CI 1.24–4.43) and mirtazapine (aHR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.06–1.86), lower for bupropion (aHR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.30–0.86), and similar level of risk was found for other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (citalopram, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, paroxetine and sertraline).

Conclusions

The risk of self-harm may vary across different antidepressant drugs. It would be of importance to conduct further research to investigate the influence of antidepressant use on self-harm behaviors.
The effects of cognitive and behavioural therapies for anxiety disorders on depression: a meta-analysis
Authors: Cuijpers P. , Cristea I. A. , Weitz E. , Gentili C. , Berking M.
Published: September 2016

Background

The effects of cognitive behavioural therapy of anxiety disorders on depression has been examined in previous meta-analyses, suggesting that these treatments have considerable effects on depression. In the current meta-analysis we examined whether the effects of treatments of anxiety disorders on depression differ across generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder (PD). We also compared the effects of these treatments with the effects of cognitive and behavioural therapies of major depression (MDD).

Method

We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE and the Cochrane database, and included 47 trials on anxiety disorders and 34 trials on MDD.

Results

Baseline depression severity was somewhat lower in anxiety disorders than in MDD, but still mild to moderate in most studies. Baseline severity differed across the three anxiety disorders. The effect sizes found for treatment of the anxiety disorders ranged from g = 0.47 for PD, g = 0.68 for GAD and g = 0.69 for SAD. Differences between these effect sizes and those found in the treatment of MDD (g = 0.81) were not significant in most analyses and we found few indications that the effects differed across anxiety disorders. We did find that within-group effect sizes resulted in significantly (p < 0.001) larger effect sizes for depression (g = 1.50) than anxiety disorders (g = 0.73–0.91). Risk of bias was considerable in the majority of studies.

Conclusions

Patients participating in trials of cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders have high levels of depression. These treatments have considerable effects on depression, and these effects are comparable to those of treatment of primary MDD.
Review of selected research in applied linguistics published in Australia (2008–2014)
Authors: Oliver Rhonda , Chen Honglin , Moore Stephen
Published: September 2016

This article reviews the significant and diverse range of research in applied linguistics published in Australia in the period 2008–2014. Whilst acknowledging that a great deal of research by Australian scholars has been published internationally during these seven years, this review is based on books, journal articles, and conference proceedings published in Australia. Many of these sources will be unfamiliar to an international audience, and the purpose of this article is to highlight this body of research and the themes emerging from it. The journals selected in this review includeAustralian Journal of Language and Literacy, Australian Review of Applied Linguistics (ARAL), BABEL, English in Australia, English Australia, Papers in Language Testing and Assessment, Prospect: An Australian Journal of TESOL, TESOL in Context, andUniversity of Sydney Papers in TESOL. Selected refereed proceedings are from key national conferences including: ALAA (Applied Linguistics Association of Australia), ACTA (Australian Council of TESOL Association), ASFLA (Australian Systemic Functional Linguistics Association), and ALS (Australian Linguistics Society). Our review of selected applied linguistics work revolves around the following themes: the responses to the needs of government planning and policy; the complexity of Australia's multicultural, multilingual society; the concern for recognizing context and culture as key factors in language and language learning; social activism in supporting language pedagogy and literacy programmes at all levels of education; and acknowledgement of the unique place held by Indigenous languages and Aboriginal English in the national linguistic landscape.
Research timeline: Second language communication strategies
Authors: Kennedy Sara , Trofimovich Pavel
Published: September 2016

Speakers of a second language (L2), regardless of proficiency level, communicate for specific purposes. For example, an L2 speaker of English may wish to build rapport with a co-worker by chatting about the weather. The speaker will draw on various resources to accomplish her communicative purposes. For instance, the speaker may say ‘falling ice’ if she has forgotten the word ‘hail’ or may repeat the last few words of her interlocutor's utterance to show that she is listening and engaged. The term communication strategies (CSs) refers to the strategic use of various resources (both linguistic and non-linguistic) for communicative purposes. While speakers also use CSs in their native languages (L1s), research on L2 CS use is particularly interesting because speakers’ L2 linguistic resources and the associated cognitive processes are typically less developed, compared to those in their L1. Therefore, for L2 users to accomplish their communicative purposes in the L2, it is important that they effectively use the resources available to them. This research timeline presents key developments in theoretical understanding and empirical research targeting L2 CSs, mainly in oral communication. The timeline places particular emphasis on the evolution of theoretical approaches to the study of CSs and the consequent expansion of research in terms of the nature of participants, speech samples, and analytical tools used.
Peer feedback in second language writing (2005–2014)
Authors: Yu Shulin , Lee Icy
Published: September 2016

This article reviews research on peer feedback in second language (L2) writing published in the last decade (i.e. 2005–2014). We analyse first the theoretical underpinnings that have informed both peer feedback research and the pedagogical use of peer feedback in L2 writing instruction. We also provide a critical interpretation of existing peer feedback research and discuss seven important themes emerging from the literature, that is, (1) effectiveness of peer feedback compared with teacher and self-feedback; (2) benefits of peer feedback for feedback-givers; (3) computer-mediated peer feedback; (4) peer feedback training; (5) student stances and motives; (6) peer interaction and group dynamics; and (7) cultural issues in peer feedback. Next, we examine the contextual and methodological issues in peer feedback research and then conclude the article with implications for future research.
The path I took
Authors: Gass Susan
Published: September 2016

A professional journey is always part personal and mine is no exception. How does an individual from the Midwest of the United States get involved with language? It is something I have pondered for a long time along with the additional question of how that involvement translated into a profession. I hardly see it as a profession; rather, it was a life-long love of language that took me down a professional path.
BAAL/CUP Seminar 2015: Eyetracking as a research method in online language education
Authors: Stickler Ursula , Shi Lijing
Published: September 2016

The seminar took place at The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, 12–13 June 2015.

The objectives of this seminar were to explore the use of eyetracking in advancing online language education, and to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas across disciplines (language, education, and computing). The overarching aim was to lay the foundations for a network to support future eyetracking research collaboration on the practical, methodological and theoretical level.
Increasing subsequences of random walks
Authors: ANGEL OMER , BALKA RICHÁRD , PERES YUVAL
Published: September 2016

Given a sequence ofnreal numbers {Si}i⩽n, we consider the longest weakly increasing subsequence, namelyi1<i2< . . . <iLwithSik⩽Sik+1andLmaximal. When the elementsSiare i.i.d. uniform random variables, Vershik and Kerov, and Logan and Shepp proved that${\mathbb E} L=(2+o(1)) \sqrt{n}$.

We consider the case when {Si}i⩽nis a random walk on ℝ with increments of mean zero and finite (positive) variance. In this case, it is well known (e.g., using record times) that the length of the longest increasing subsequence satisfies${\mathbb E} L\geq c\sqrt{n}$. Our main result is an upper bound${\mathbb E} L\leq n^{1/2 + o(1)}$, establishing the leading asymptotic behavior. If {Si}i⩽nis a simple random walk on ℤ, we improve the lower bound by showing that${\mathbb E} L \geq c\sqrt{n} \log{n}$.

We also show that if {Si} is a simple random walk in ℤ2, then there is a subsequence of {Si}i⩽nof expected length at leastcn1/3that is increasing in each coordinate. The above one-dimensional result yields an upper bound ofn1/2+o(1). The problem of determining the correct exponent remains open.
Neuropathology in Canada: The First One Hundred Years
Authors: Del Bigio Marc R. , Barry Rewcastle N.
Published: September 2016

We describe the evolution of neuropathology in Canada, beginning with William Osler who began working in Montréal in 1874 and finishing with the major period of expansion in the 1970s. Organized services began in the 1930s, in Montréal with the neurosurgeons Wilder Penfield and William Cone, and in Toronto with Eric Linell and Mary Tom, who both began their careers as neuroanatomists. Jerzy Olszewski and Gordon Mathieson, who trained in Montréal and Toronto, drove the creation of the CanadianAssociation of Neuropathologists in 1960. Training guided by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada was formalized in 1965, with the first certifying examination in 1968 and the subsequent creation of formal structured training programs. The number of neuropathologists in Canada increased rapidly through the 1960s and 1970s, with individuals coming from both clinical neuroscience and anatomic pathology backgrounds, a pattern that persists to the present day.
Multiple Sclerosis - A Vascular Etiology?
Authors: Weir Bryce
Published: September 2016

From the earliest pathological studies the perivenular localization of the demyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been observed. It has recently been suggested that obstructions to venous flow or inadequate venous valves in the great veins in the neck, thorax and abdomen can cause damaging backflow into the cerebral and spinal cord circulations. Paolo Zamboni and colleagues have demonstrated abnormal venous circulation in some multiple sclerosis patients using non-invasive sonography and invasive venography. Furthermore, they have obtained apparent clinical improvement or stabilization by endovascular ballooning of points of obstruction in the great veins in some, at least temporarily. If non-invasive observations by others validate their initial observations of a significantly increased prevalence of venous obstructions in MS then trials of angioplasty/stenting would be justified in selected cases in view of the biological plausibility of the concept.
Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits for TBI in Ontario
Authors: Colantonio Angela , Saverino Cristina , Zagorski Brandon , Swaine Bonnie , Lewko John , Jaglal Susan , Vernich Lee
Published: September 2016

Objective:

The aim of this study was to determine the number of annual hospitalizations and overall episodes of care that involve a traumatic brain injury (TBI) by age and gender in the province of Ontario. To provide a more accurate assessment of the prevalence of TBI, episodes of care included visits to the emergency department (ED), as well as admissions to hospital. Mechanisms of injury for overall episodes were also investigated.

Methods:

Traumatic brain injury cases from fiscal years 2002/03-2006/07 were identified by means of ICD-10 codes. Data were collected from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System and the Discharge Abstract Database.

Results:

The rate of hospitalization was highest for elderly persons over 75 years-of-age. Males generally had higher rates for both hospitalizations and episodes of care than did females. The inclusion of ED visits to hospitalizations had the greatest impact on the rates of TBI in the youngest age groups. Episodes of care for TBI were greatest in youth under the age of 14 and elderly over the age of 85. Falls (41.6%) and being struck by or against an object (31.1%) were the most frequent causes for a TBI.

Conclusions:

The study provides estimates for TBI from the only Canadian province that has systematically captured ED visits in a national registry. It shows the importance of tracking ED visits, in addition to hospitalizations, to capture the burden of TBI on the health care system. Prevention strategies should include information on ED visits, particularly for those at younger ages.
Statins May Increase Intracerebral Hemorrhage Volume
Authors: Ricard Geneviève , Garant Marie-Pierre , Carrier Nathalie , Leblanc Nancy , Boulanger Jean-Martin
Published: September 2016

Background:

Some studies have suggested an association between hypocholesterolemia and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). In the SPARCL trial, statin use increased ICH risk. We tested the hypothesis that use of statins affects the volume of spontaneous ICH and contributes to the progression of ICH volume between baseline and follow-up CT scans.

Methods:

Consecutive cases of spontaneous ICH were reviewed. Secondary causes were excluded. We measured ICH volume on the baseline and follow-up CT scans using the AxBxC/2 method. Multivariate analysis and logistic regression modeling were used. The primary outcome was the ICH volume on the baseline CT scan. Secondary outcomes included volume variation between the baseline and the first follow up CT scans and death.

Results:

Of 303 subjects, 71 were taking a statin at the time of the ICH (23%). Statin users were significantly more likely to be younger, to have co-morbidities and take anticoagulant or anti-platelet medication. They also had a higher baseline ICH volume than non-statin users (median 31.2 [10,82.1] ml vs 16 [4,43.8] ml; p=0.006). Adjusting for possible confounders, statins remained associated with an increased ICH volume (p=0.007). There was a significant mean ICH volume progression between the first and second CT scans in statin users (+10.8 vs +0.9 ml; p=0.03; 95% CI: [-1,+22.6] [-2.5,+4.3]). No difference in mortality was seen between the two groups.

Conclusion:

Treatment with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors may be a risk factor for increased ICH volume in spontaneous brain hemorrhages and could contribute to hemorrhage's volume progression.
TGF-β1 869T/C Polymorphism and Ischemic Stroke: Sex Difference in Chinese
Authors: Tao Hong-miao , Chen Guo-zhong , Lu Xiao-dong , Chen Gan-ping , Shao Bei
Published: September 2016

Background:

Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and of cerebrovascular complications. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a pleiotropic cytokine with a central role in inflammation. To investigate whether polymorphisms of the TGF-β1 gene can modify the risk of ischemic stroke (IS) in Chinese population, we conduct this hospital-based, case-control study.

Methods:

Transforming growth factor-β1 genotype was determined in 450 Chinese patients (306 male and 144 female) with IS and 450 control subjects (326 male and 124 female).

Results:

Subjects carrying 869TT were susceptible to IS (odds ratio [OR] =1.58; P=0.003). Further analysis of IS data partitioned by gender revealed the female-specific association with 869T/C (OR=2.64; P=0.001).

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that the TT genotype of 869T/C might be a risk factor of IS in Chinese, especially in females.