bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the stability of fissured slopes subject to seismic action
Authors: Utili S. , Abd A.H.
Published: February 2016

A set of analytical solutions achieved by the upper bound theorem of limit analysis and the pseudo‐static approach is presented for the assessment of the stability of homogeneous c, ϕ slopes manifesting vertical cracks and subject to seismic action. Rotational failure mechanisms are considered for slopes with cracks of either known or unknown depth and location. A validation exercise was carried out based on numerical limit analyses and displacement‐based finite‐element analyses with strength reduction technique.

Charts providing the stability factor for fissured slopes subject to both horizontal and vertical accelerations for any combination of c, ϕ and slope inclination are provided. The effect of the direction of the vertical acceleration on slope stability is specifically analysed. Yield seismic coefficients are also provided.

When the presence of cracks within the slope can be ascertained with reasonable confidence, maps showing the zones within the slope where they have no destabilising effect are provided.

Finally, Newmark's method was employed to assess the effect of cracks on earthquake induced displacements. To this end, displacement coefficients are provided in chart form as a function of the slope characteristics. Two examples of slopes subjected to known earthquakes are illustrated. © 2016 The Authors. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The location of pain and urgency sensations during cystometry
Authors: Veit‐Rubin Nikolaus , Cartwright Rufus , Esmail Alisha , Digesu G. Alessandro , Fernando Ruwan , Khullar Vikram
Published: February 2016

Aims

The relationship between bladder pain and urinary urgency sensations is poorly understood. We analyzed the relationship between locations and intensities of urgency and pain sensations felt during filling cystometry.

Methods

Participants completed the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) to indicate presence of bladder pain or urgency. During cystometry, participants scored the intensity of urgency and pain, both in the suprapubic and the urethral region, on a VAS scale of 0–10 at a baseline, at first desire, normal desire, strong desire to void, and at maximum cystometric capacity during filling. We allocated the participants to six groups; those reporting urgency or not, pain or not, both symptoms and neither. Friedman's Test was used to ascertain if all scores increased significantly, the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to demonstrate the difference between scores, and agreement for findings during cystometry was tested with Mann–Whitney U.

Results

A total of 68 women participated; 38 participants reported pain, 57 reported urgency, and 33 reported both symptoms. Pain and urgency scores significantly increased during cystometry (P < 0.0001). For participants reporting pain, suprapubic pain was rated significantly higher than urethral pain. Participants reporting both symptoms, felt more urgency than pain, and again pain more suprapubically than urethrally. Participants reporting only urgency scored suprapubic and urethral urgency similarly at all desires.

Conclusions

Pain and urgency are well differentiated sensations and are felt at different locations although pain is seemingly easier localized. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:620–625, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Polynomial viscosity methods for multispecies kinematic flow models
Authors: Bürger Raimund , Mulet Pep , Rubio Lihki
Published: February 2016

Multispecies kinematic flow models are defined by systems of strongly coupled, nonlinear first‐order conservation laws. They arise in various applications including sedimentation of polydisperse suspensions and multiclass vehicular traffic. Their numerical approximation is a challenge since the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the corresponding flux Jacobian matrix have no closed algebraic form. It is demonstrated that a recently introduced class of fast first‐order finite volume solvers, called polynomial viscosity matrix (PVM) methods [M. J. Castro Díaz and E. Fernández‐Nieto, SIAM J Sci Comput 34 (2012), A2173–A2196], can be adapted to multispecies kinematic flows. PVM methods have the advantage that they only need some information about the eigenvalues of the flux Jacobian, and no spectral decomposition of a Roe matrix is needed. In fact, the so‐called interlacing property (of eigenvalues with known velocity functions), which holds for several important multispecies kinematic flow models, provides sufficient information for the implementation of PVM methods. Several variants of PVM methods (differing in polynomial degree and the underlying quadrature formula to approximate the Roe matrix) are compared by numerical experiments. It turns out that PVM methods are competitive in accuracy and efficiency with several existing methods, including the Harten, Lax, and van Leer method and a spectral weighted essentially non‐oscillatory scheme that is based on the same interlacing property. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 32: 1265–1288, 2016
The effects of chemical treatment on the structural and thermal, physical, and mechanical and morphological properties of roselle fiber‐reinforced vinyl ester composites
Authors: Nadlene R. , Sapuan S.M. , Jawaid M. , Ishak M.R. , Yusriah L.
Published: February 2016

Roselle fiber is a type of natural fiber that can potentially be used as a reinforcement material in polymer composites for different applications. This study investigated the chemical, physical, thermal, mechanical, and morphological characteristics of roselle fiber‐reinforced vinyl ester subjected to different fiber treatments. The roselle fiber was treated with alkalization and a silane coupling agent, and samples were prepared using the hand lay‐up method. Treated roselle fiber significantly enhanced most of the properties of vinyl ester biocomposites compared with an untreated biocomposite. The results revealed that alkalization and silane treatment of the fiber changed its chemical properties. The treated fiber improved water repellence behavior of the roselle fiber‐reinforced vinyl ester compared with the untreated fiber. Use of a silane coupling agent was determined as the best chemical treatment for the water absorption effect. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated that alkalization‐treated fiber had improved thermal stability; however, the opposite result was obtained with the silane‐treated fiber. The morphological examination of treated and untreated roselle fiber‐reinforced vinyl esters showed a good fiber adhesion between the treated fiber and the matrix, and less fiber pull‐out from the matrix was observed. This observation provides good indication of the interfacial interlocking between the fiber and the matrix, which improved the tensile properties of the composites. In contrast, the impact results revealed that the treated fiber had a decreased impact energy compared with the untreated fiber. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:274–287, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Clinical significance of prospectively assigned Gleason tertiary pattern 4 in contemporary Gleason score 3+3=6 prostate cancer
Authors: Doshi Chirag , Vacchio Michael , Attwood Kristopher , Murekeyisoni Christine , Mehedint Diana C. , Badkhshan Shervin , Azabdaftari Gissou , Sule Norbert , Guru Khurshid A. , Mohler James L. , Kauffman Eric C.
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

To determine the oncologic impact of prospectively assigned tertiary pattern 4 in contemporary Gleason score (GS) 3 + 3 = 6 radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Oncologic outcomes were retrospectively reviewed for 720 consecutive patients from a single National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) center with at least 6 months follow‐up after RP for GS3 + 3 = 6 (GS6, N = 222), GS6 with tertiary pattern 4 (GS6t4, N = 62), or GS3 + 4 = 7 (N = 436) prostate cancer, as prospectively graded since 2006 using the 2005 International Society of Urologic Pathologists criteria. Preoperative NCCN risk category, RP pathology, progression‐free survival (PFS) and metastasis‐free survival (MFS) were compared among the GS6, GS6t4, and GS3 + 4 = 7 groups using χ2, Kaplan–Meier, and log‐rank analyses.

RESULTS

The incidence of low NCCN preoperative risk classification for GS6t4 patients (63%) was less than that for GS6 patients (77%) while greater than that for GS3 + 4 = 7 patients (30%, P < 0.001). GS6t4 patients had RP pathologic features which were intermediate in risk between that of GS6 and GS3 + 4 = 7 based on extraprostatic extension (27% vs. 6% vs. 31%, respectively, P < 0.001) and mean percentage of prostate gland involvement (13% vs. 10% vs. 16%, respectively, P < 0.001). With a mean overall follow‐up of 42 months, PFS for GS6t4 patients (5‐year 85%) was intermediate between that of GS6 (5‐year 93%) and GS3 + 4 = 7 (5‐year 76%) patients (P < 0.001). The 5‐year MFS rate was 100% for GS6 and GS6t4 patients compared to 97% for GS3 + 4 = 7 patients (P = 0.07).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides the longest follow‐up to date for RP patients with prospectively assigned GS6t4 and supports a risk for adverse RP pathology and postoperative disease progression that is intermediate between GS6 and GS3 + 4 = 7. Whether a tertiary pattern 4 in GS6 disease increases the risk of metastasis is uncertain and requires longer term study. Given favorable oncologic outcomes, less stringent postoperative surveillance for both GS6 and GS6t4 patients may be warranted. Prostate 76:715–721, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Relative cytotoxic potencies and cell death mechanisms of α1‐adrenoceptor antagonists in prostate cancer cell lines
Authors: Forbes Amanda , Anoopkumar‐Dukie Shailendra , Chess‐Williams Russ , McDermott Catherine
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND

Some α1‐adrenoceptor antagonists possess anti‐cancer actions that are independent of α1‐adrenoceptors and the aim of these studies was to assess the relative cytotoxic potencies of α1‐adrenoceptor antagonists and the mechanisms involved in these actions.

METHODS

PC‐3 and LNCap human prostate cancer cells were exposed to α1‐adrenoceptor antagonists (0.01–100 μM) and cell survival assessed after 24–72 hr. The levels of apoptosis, autophagy and stress related proteins were also determined.

RESULTS

The relative cytotoxic potency order was prazosin = doxazosin > terazosin = silodosin = alfuzosin > tamsulosin on both cell types, but LNCaP cells were significantly more sensitive to these effects than PC‐3 cells. Prazosin and doxazosin increased levels of apoptotsis and autophagy in both cell lines, and activated EphA2 receptors in PC‐3 cells. Autophagy contributed to survival of LNCaP, but promoted cell death in PC‐3 cells. Treatment with prazosin (30 μM) altered the expression of several cell stress‐related proteins: elevating phospho‐p38α and reducing S6 kinase in both cell lines. Surprisingly some proteins were differentially affected in the two prostate cancer cell lines: Akt and p27 increasing and HIF‐1α decreasing in LNCap cells but not PC‐3, while ADAMTS1 was increased in PC‐3 cells only.

CONCLUSIONS

Prazosin and doxazosin demonstrated cytotoxic actions on both castration‐resistant PC‐3 and androgen‐sensitive LNCap prostate cancer cells. The mechanisms involved included changes in a number of proliferation and apoptosis regulatory proteins. The role of autophagy depended on the cell type, but contributed to cell death in PC3 cells. Prostate 76:757–766, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characterization of the AXH domain of Ataxin‐1 using enhanced sampling and functional mode analysis
Authors: Deriu Marco A. , Grasso Gianvito , Tuszynski Jack A. , Massai Diana , Gallo Diego , Morbiducci Umberto , Danani Andrea
Published: February 2016

Ataxin‐1 is the protein responsible for the Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, an incurable neurodegenerative disease caused by polyglutamine expansion. The AXH domain plays a pivotal role in physiological functions of Ataxin‐1. In Spinocerebellar ataxia 1, the AXH domain is involved in the misfolding and aggregation pathway. Here molecular modeling is applied to investigate the protein‐protein interactions contributing to the AXH dimer stability. Particular attention is focused on: (i) the characterization of AXH monomer‐monomer interface; (ii) the molecular description of the AXH monomer‐monomer interaction dynamics. Technically, an approach based on functional mode analysis, here applied to replica exchange molecular dynamics trajectories, was employed. The findings of this study are consistent with previous experimental results and elucidate the pivotal role of the I580 residue in mediating the AXH monomer‐monomer interaction dynamics. Proteins 2016; 84:666–673. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cobalt–nickel material libraries obtained from electrodeposition using citrate or glycine as additives
Authors: Grill Carina Daniela , Pötzelberger Isabella , Kollender Jan Philipp , Hassel Achim Walter
Published: February 2016

Abstractauthoren Fabrication of cobalt–nickel material libraries was performed by electrodeposition in a modified 3D‐printed Hull cell using sulfate‐based electrolyte baths containing trisodium citrate or glycine as additives. A transition from anomalous to normal co‐deposition behavior was observed for different overall applied current densities. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed needle‐shaped crystallites on the sample obtained from citrate solution and a nodular surface morphology for the material library from glycine solution. Non‐enzymatic glucose sensing was carried out by flow‐type scanning droplet cell microscopy (FT‐SDCM) to investigate the electrocatalytic activity for glucose oxidation.

Cobalt–nickel material library fabricated by electrodeposition in the presence of trisodium citrate or glycine as additives using a modified 3D‐printed Hull cell.
Local physical quantities for spin based on the relativistic quantum field theory in molecular systems
Authors: Fukuda Masahiro , Soga Kota , Senami Masato , Tachibana Akitomo
Published: February 2016

Local physical quantities for spin are investigated on the basis of the four‐ and two‐component relativistic quantum theory. In the quantum field theory, local physical quantities for spin such as the spin angular momentum density, spin torque density, zeta force density, and zeta potential play important roles in spin dynamics. We discuss how to calculate these local physical quantities based on the two‐component relativistic quantum theory. Some different types of relativistic numerical calculations of local physical quantities in Li atom and C6H6 are demonstrated and compared. Local physical quantities for each orbital are also discussed, and it is seen that a total local zeta potential is given as a result of some cancellation of large contributions from each orbital. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Testing properties of functions on finite groups
Authors: Oono Kenta , Yoshida Yuichi
Published: February 2016

We study testing properties of functions on finite groups. First we consider functions of the form , where G is a finite group. We show that conjugate invariance, homomorphism, and the property of being proportional to an irreducible character is testable with a constant number of queries to f, where a character is a crucial notion in representation theory. Our proof relies on representation theory and harmonic analysis on finite groups. Next we consider functions of the form , where d is a fixed constant and is the family of d by d matrices with each element in . For a function , we show that the unitary isomorphism to g is testable with a constant number of queries to f, where we say that f and g are unitary isomorphic if there exists a unitary matrix U such that for any . © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 49, 579–598, 2016
Climate change governance: history, future, and triple‐loop learning?
Authors: Gupta Joyeeta
Published: February 2016

The international climate change regime started out very constructively, but although there has been progress over the last 25 years, this progress falls short of what is needed to address the climate change problem. This paper presents the regime evolution in terms of the concept of single‐, double‐, and triple‐loop learning, and its relationship with participatory processes and trust, emphasizing the more recent developments and prospects for the future. It argues that in the first stage of the regime, the problem was seen as structured (high scientific and normative consensus), defined as a technological problem and the focus was on improving the routines within the climate change negotiations. In the second stage, the problem was seen as moderately structured (with creeping doubts about the science and norms needed to deal with the problem) and defined as a political problem requiring double‐loop learning that questioned the underlying assumptions. In the third stage, the problem is seen as unstructured (where climate skeptics help shape political discourses on climate science and there is breakdown in normative consensus), as the problem is seen more as an ideological, systemic one requiring complex triple‐loop learning (unlearning, transformative learning) in the context of mutual distrust. The issue is whether in this stage we will be able to combine bottom‐up initiatives with top‐down legally binding goals, Northern and Southern perspectives, to create a global consensus on the need to restructure society such that the problem can once more be seen as structured and manageable.WIREs Clim Change2016, 7:192–210. doi: 10.1002/wcc.388

This article is categorized under:

Policy and Governance > International Policy Framework
Chaos in classical D0-brane mechanics
Authors: Gur-Ari Guy , Hanada Masanori , Shenker Stephen H.
Published: February 2016

Abstract

We study chaos in the classical limit of the matrix quantum mechanical system describing D0-brane dynamics. We determine a precise value of the largest Lyapunov exponent, and, with less precision, calculate the entire spectrum of Lyapunov exponents. We verify that these approach a smooth limit asN→ ∞. We show that a classical analog of scrambling occurs with fast scrambling scaling,t∗∼ logS. These results confirm thek-locality property of matrix mechanics discussed by Sekino and Susskind.
Toads in the backyard: why do invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) prefer buildings to bushland?
Authors: González‐Bernal Edna , Greenlees Matthew J. , Brown Gregory P. , Shine Richard
Published: February 2016

Like many invasive species, cane toads (Rhinella marina) in Australia concentrate in the disturbed habitats created by human activity, rather than in pristine areas. We surveyed cane toads in the wet–dry tropics of the Northern Territory to assess the abundances, body sizes, sexes, behaviour, hydration state and feeding rates of toads around buildings compared to those in areas remote from buildings, and conducted experimental trials to assess the effects of building‐related variables (lights and increased toad densities) on the foraging success of toads. Toads around buildings were smaller than bushland conspecifics, and adult sex‐ratios were female‐biased. Toads were more sedentary around buildings than in the bush, but their feeding rates (based on direct observations and faeces production post‐capture) were similar. That similarity, despite twofold‐higher densities of competing toads around building, reflected the strong enhancement of feeding rates due to artificial lights attracting insects (in our experimental trials, a threefold increase regardless of the number of competing toads). Toads collected from around buildings were apparently in better hydric condition. Thus, access to water also may attract toads to buildings. The relative scarcity of adult male toads around buildings likely reflects waterbody‐centred reproductive activities, whereas the concentration of females and juveniles around buildings is driven largely by access to the insects attracted by artificial light. We conclude that buildings enhance the persistence of cane toad populations and may facilitate their spread.
Later-borns Don’t Give Up: The Temporary Effects of Birth Order on European Earnings
Authors: Bertoni Marco , Brunello Giorgio
Published: February 2016

The existing empirical evidence on the effects of birth order on wages does not distinguish between temporary and permanent effects. Using data from 11 European countries for males born between 1935 and 1956, we show that firstborns enjoy on average a 13.7 % premium in their entry wage compared with later-borns. This advantage, however, is short-lived and disappears 10 years after labor market entry. Although firstborns start with a better job, partially because of their higher education, later-borns quickly catch up by switching earlier and more frequently to better-paying jobs. We argue that a key factor driving our findings is that later-borns have lower risk aversion than firstborns.
Muscle Weakness and Perceived Disability of Upper Limbs in Persons With Late Effects of Polio
Authors: Brogårdh Christina , Flansbjer Ulla‐Britt , Lexell Jan
Published: February 2016

Background

Muscle weakness in one or both upper limbs is common in persons with previous polio, but there is very limited knowledge how it influences daily life.

Objective

To assess muscle weakness and self‐perceived disability of the upper limbs in persons with late effects of polio and evaluate their association.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Settings

University hospital outpatient clinic.

Participants

Twenty‐eight persons (mean age 67, SD 16 years) with late effects of polio in their upper limbs.

Main Outcome Measures

A fixed dynamometer (Biodex System 3 PRO dynamometer (Biodex Medical Systems Inc, Shirley, NY) was used to measure isometric shoulder abduction and elbow flexion, as well as isokinetic concentric elbow flexion and extension. A hand‐held dynamometer (Grippit, Hägersten, Sweden) was used to measure isometric grip strength. The Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire was used to assess self‐perceived disability of the upper limbs. The relationships between the measures were analyzed with the Spearman rank correlation coefficients (rho).

Results

The participants were 20%‐31% weaker in their more‐affected upper limb compared with their less‐affected limb. The DASH score was on average 33.5 (SD 18.6), indicating a mild‐to‐moderate disability of their upper limbs. Changing a lightbulb overhead, carrying a heavy object, and performing recreational activities that required muscle force with the arms were perceived as most difficult. The correlations (rho) between the muscle strength measurements and DASH scores ranged from −0.46 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] −0.10 to −0.71) to −0.61 (95% CI −0.31 to −0.80) for the more affected upper limb, and from −0.54 (95% CI −0.21 to −0.76) to −0.68 (95% CI −0.41 to −0.84) for the less affected upper limb (P < .05‐.01).

Conclusions

Persons with previous polio and muscle weakness in their upper limbs perceive difficulties to use their arms in daily life, especially when performing activities above their head and strenuous household or leisure activities. The fair‐to‐moderate correlations of muscle strength with self‐perceived disability imply that the weakness can only partially explain the perceived disabilities of arm, shoulder and hand. Other factors are therefore important to consider in the rehabilitation of persons with late effects of polio and upper limb disability.
Impact of Phlebotomy Tourniquet Use on Blood Lactate Levels in Acutely Ill Patients
Authors: Balakrishnan Vamsi , Wilson John , Taggart Brent , Cipolla James , Jeanmonod Rebecca
Published: February 2016

Objective

Lactate levels are increasingly used to guide resuscitation efforts. Some surgical literature suggests that tourniquet use during phlebotomy falsely elevates results, although studies in healthy volunteers have not demonstrated this. The purpose of this study was to determine in clinical practice whether tourniquet use during the drawing of a lactate results in significantly altered levels compared to the result of a level drawn without a tourniquet.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was carried out on emergency department patients whose clinical presentation led a physician to order a lactate level. Written informed consent was obtained from patients or their proxies. Study lactates were obtained using a tourniquet during the draw sequence of other laboratory studies. Lactate levels for clinical use were drawn per hospital protocol with no tourniquet. The time of lactate measurements and patient demographic information were recorded. Lactate levels for each patient were compared with the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum Test.

Results

40 patients were consented and enrolled. The median clinical lactate level was 1.9 (interquartile range 1.5-2.6), and the median study lactate level was 1.9 (interquartile range 1.4-2.7). There was no difference between paired lactate values (p=0.95).

Conclusions

Tourniquet use appears to have no impact on measured lactate levels. Our findings suggest that current practices at many institutions regarding lactate collection are likely too stringent and should be changed.
Complications of Hospital-Onset Healthcare Facility–Associated Clostridium difficile Infections Among Veterans
Authors: Evans Martin E. , Kralovic Stephen M. , Simbartl Loretta A. , Whitlock Judith L. , Jain Rajiv , Roselle Gary A.
Published: February 2016

Complications within 30 days of a clinically confirmed hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection diagnosis from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2015, in 127 acute care Veterans Health Administration facilities were evaluated. Pooled rates for attributable intensive care unit admissions, colectomies, and deaths were 2.7%, 0.5%, and 0.4%, respectively.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:717–719
Efficient evaluation of collisional energy transfer terms for plasma particle simulations
Authors: Turrell A. E. , Sherlock M. , Rose S. J.
Published: February 2016

Particle-based simulations, such as in particle-in-cell (PIC) codes, are widely used in plasma physics research. The analysis of particle energy transfers, as described by the second moment of the Boltzmann equation, is often necessary within these simulations. We present computationally efficient, analytically derived equations for evaluating collisional energy transfer terms from simulations using discrete particles. The equations are expressed as a sum over the properties of the discrete particles.
Why Materialism Is False, and Why It Has Nothing To Do with the Mind
Authors: Jaworski William
Published: February 2016

Materialism claims that everything is physical; everything can be exhaustively described and explained in principle by physics. For over half a century challenges to materialism have focused on mental phenomena such as consciousness, reason, and value. The tacit assumption among most materialists – one shared by most of their critics – has been that more basic biological phenomena, such as metabolism and reproduction, do not pose a serious obstacle to the materialist program, that these can be easily accommodated within a materialist framework. But there is reason to think that this assumption is false. Thomas Nagel has recently argued that materialism cannot countenance biological phenomena at large. Like so many anti-materialist arguments, however, his focuses on mental phenomena. After explaining why this is a liability for him and other would-be critics of materialism, I advance an anti-materialist argument that appeals directly to biology. Materialism is false, it says, because our best empirical descriptions and explanations of biological phenomena appeal to biological organization or structure, and there is good reason to think that these appeals cannot be eliminated, reduced to, or paraphrased in favor of descriptions and explanations framed in exclusively physical terms. As a result, not everything can be described and explained exhaustively by physics. Materialism must be false. The reason, however, has nothing to do with mental phenomena specifically.
Does depression diagnosis and antidepressant prescribing vary by location? Analysis of ethnic density associations using a large primary-care dataset
Authors: Schofield P. , Das-Munshi J. , Mathur R. , Congdon P. , Hull S.
Published: February 2016

Background

Studies have linked ethnic differences in depression rates with neighbourhood ethnic density although results have not been conclusive. We looked at this using a novel approach analysing whole population data covering just over one million GP patients in four London boroughs.

Method

Using a dataset of GP records for all patients registered in Lambeth, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham in 2013 we investigated new diagnoses of depression and antidepressant use for: Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, black Caribbean and black African patients. Neighbourhood effects were assessed independently of GP practice using a cross-classified multilevel model.

Results

Black and minority ethnic groups are up to four times less likely to be newly diagnosed with depression or prescribed antidepressants compared to white British patients. We found an inverse relationship between neighbourhood ethnic density and new depression diagnosis for some groups, where an increase of 10% own-ethnic density was associated with a statistically significant (p < 0.05) reduced odds of depression for Pakistani [odds ratio (OR) 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70–0.93], Indian (OR 0.88, CI 0.81–0.95), African (OR 0.88, CI 0.78–0.99) and Bangladeshi (OR 0.94, CI 0.90–0.99) patients. Black Caribbean patients, however, showed the opposite effect (OR 1.26, CI 1.09–1.46). The results for antidepressant use were very similar although the corresponding effect for black Caribbeans was no longer statistically significant (p = 0.07).

Conclusion

New depression diagnosis and antidepressant use was shown to be less likely in areas of higher own-ethnic density for some, but not all, ethnic groups.
Do early noun and verb production predict later verb and noun production? Theoretical implications
Authors: LONGOBARDI EMIDDIA , SPATARO PIETRO , PUTNICK DIANE L. , BORNSTEIN MARC H.
Published: February 2016

Many studies have addressed the question of the relative dominance of nouns over verbs in the productive vocabularies of children in the second year of life. Surprisingly, cross-class (noun-to-verb and verb-to-noun) relations between these two lexical categories have seldom been investigated. The present longitudinal study employed observational and parent-report data obtained from thirty mother–child dyads at 1;4, 1;8, and 2;0 to examine this issue. Both theNatural Partitions/Relational Relativity(NP/RR) hypothesis and theEmergentist Coalition Model(ECM) predict that having an initial repertoire of common nouns should facilitate the acquisition of novel verbs, whereas only the ECM suggests that children exploit the syntactic and semantic constraints of known verbs to infer the meaning of novel nouns. In line with the ECM, hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the percentages of nouns produced by children at 1;4 predicted later verbs at 1;8, whereas the percentages of verbs produced at 1;8 predicted later nouns at 2;0.
L’utilisation des échelles de niveaux d’interventions médicales en centre hospitalier
Authors: Frenette Marjolaine , Saint-Arnaud Jocelyne
Published: February 2016

Different care settings in Quebec use levels of medical intervention forms, also called levels of care (LOC), to determine the code status of patients and to improve end-of-life care planning. It is not currently possible to know whether the levels of care in hospitals benefit patients and staff in facilitating the decision making process of treatment options and resuscitation measures. No study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, has been published about LOC, particularly in Quebec and Canada. This literature review was undertaken on levels of care in order to clarify this topic. Relevant articles are discussed under different themes that are pertinent to LOC. The themes addressed in this article include care at the end of life, do-not-resuscitate orders, treatment withdrawal, and decision making at end of life.
JAMES MILL ON INTEMPERANCE AND INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES
Authors: Bianchini Victor
Published: February 2016

James Mill’s account of the decision process is part of his theory of the human mind, which in turn is the cornerstone of his theory of education. Mill believed the end of education was to produce happiness, and that this happiness required action by the individual. A problem, as Mill saw it, was that intemperance might interfere with the decision process, causing individuals to take actions that do not promote their greatest happiness. This paper provides an interpretation of this process from a formal perspective, in the light of Mill’s view on intemperance.
Accessibility of summer meals and the food insecurity of low-income households with children
Authors: Miller Daniel P
Published: February 2016

Objective

Almost no previous research has examined the impact of the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Food Service Program and related Seamless Summer Option, which provide meals and snacks to low-income children over the summer. The present study investigated whether geographic accessibility of summer meals programme sites (a proxy for programme participation) was associated with food insecurity for low-income households.

Design

The study used data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and administrative data on summer meals sites in California. Geocoding was used to calculate driving time between CHIS households and nearby summer meals sites. Geographic accessibility was measured using a gravity model, which accounted for the spatially distributed supply of and demand for summer meals. Food insecurity and very low food security were measured using a standard six-item measure from the USDA.

Subjects

Low-income families with children (n5394).

Setting

A representative surveillance study of non-institutionalized households in California.

Results

Geographic accessibility was not associated with food insecurity. However, geographic accessibility was associated with a significantly lower probability of very low food security in the full sample and among households with younger children and those living in less urban areas.

Conclusions

The USDA’s summer meals programme may be effective at reducing the most severe form of food insecurity for low-income households with children. Expanding the number of summer meals sites, the number of meals served at sites and sites’ hours of operation may be effective strategies to promote nutritional health over the summer months.
Live Cell Imaging of Actin Dynamics in the Filamentous FungusAspergillus nidulans
Authors: Schultzhaus Zachary , Quintanilla Laura , Hilton Angelyn , Shaw Brian D.
Published: February 2016

Hyphal cells of filamentous fungi grow at their tips in a method analogous to pollen tube and root hair elongation. This process, generally referred to as tip growth, requires precise regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, and characterizing the various actin structures in these cell types is currently an active area of research. Here, the actin marker Lifeact was used to document actin dynamics in the filamentous fungusAspergillus nidulans.Contractile double rings were observed at septa, and annular clusters of puncta were seen subtending growing hyphal tips, corresponding to the well-characterized subapical endocytic collar. However, Lifeact also revealed two additional structures. One, an apical array, was dynamic on the face opposite the tip, while a subapical web was dynamic on the apical face and was located several microns behind the growth site. Each was observed turning into the other over time, implying that they could represent different localizations of the same structure, although hyphae with a subapical web grew faster than those exhibiting an apical array. The subapical web has not been documented in any filamentous fungus to date, and is separate from the networks of F-actin seen in other tip-growing organisms surrounding septa or stationary along the plasmalemma.
ROCK AS EXPERIENCE
Authors: BLAKE CASEY NELSON
Published: February 2016

Readers dismayed by the appearance of a review essay on hipsters, hippies, and rock music in the pages of Modern Intellectual History should take a deep breath (you may inhale) and consider the following passage from John Dewey's 1934 Art as Experience:

Any idea that ignores the necessary role of intelligence in production of works of art is based upon identification of thinking with use of one special kind of material, verbal signs and words. To think effectively in terms of relations of qualities is as severe a demand upon thought as to think in terms of symbols, verbal and mathematical. Indeed, since words are equally manipulated in mechanical ways, the production of a work of genuine art probably demands more intelligence than does most of the so-called thinking that goes on among those who pride themselves on being “intellectuals.”

It's impossible to know what Dewey would have thought had he lived beyond his ninety-two years and confronted the rock music and counterculture of the 1960s and early 1970s. Would he have found “intelligence” at work in “acid rock” or hippie culture? Or would he have reacted as rock critic Greil Marcus did in the famous opening line of his review of Bob Dylan's 1970 Self Portrait album: “What is this shit?” I’d like to think he’d have given the music a listen, if not at the Fillmore then perhaps on his home stereo. After all, Dewey had this to say about music: “Music, having sound as its medium, thus necessarily expresses in a concentrated way the shocks and instabilities, the conflicts and resolutions, that are the dramatic changes enacted upon the more enduring background of nature and human life.” If any music expressed the shocks, instabilities, and conflicts of its day—and did so “in a concentrated way”—it was rock ’n’ roll. In fact, sonic culture had a privileged place in Dewey's aesthetics as an expression of the emotional life of individuals and communities. “Generically speaking, what is seen stirs emotion indirectly, through interpretation and allied idea. Sound agitates directly, as a commotion of the organism itself.” A philosopher who refused to sever sensory experience from cognition might well have considered whether somewhere in the commotion of rock culture there was also thinking. The question for historians committed to that proposition today is how and where to locate thinking in all the feedback.
Change in Depression Symptomatology and Cognitive Function in Twins: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Petersen Inge , McGue Matt , Tan Qihua , Christensen Kaare , Christiansen Lene
Published: February 2016

A complex interrelation exists between change in depression symptomatology and cognitive decline. Studies indicate either that depression is a direct risk factor for cognitive change over time, or vice versa. Longitudinal twin studies provide the possibility to unravel cause and effect of correlated traits. Here, we have applied twin modeling approaches to shed light on the genetic correlation between both level and change of depression symptomatology and cognitive functioning, and to further explore the bidirectionality of any such correlation using assessments of both phenotypes at two occasions 10 years apart. The study included 2,866 Danish twins with a mean age of 56.8 years at intake (range: 45–68 years). Of these, 1,267 were intact pairs. A total number of 1,582 twins (55%), of whom 557 were intact pairs, participated in the follow-up survey. We found stable cross-sectional heritability estimates of approximately 60% for general cognitive abilities and 30% for affective depressive symptoms. There was a considerable decline in the mean cognitive performance over 10 years, whereas the mean affective depression symptoms score was stable and with no genetic contribution to any individual change. Additionally, we saw a small but significant cross-trait correlation at both occasions (-0.11 and -0.09, respectively), but cross-trait cross-occasion analysis revealed no evidence that either of the two traits predicts the other over a 10-year interval. Thus, our study was not able to detect any causal association between change in depressive symptomatology and cognitive decline in middle-aged and elderly people over a 10-year interval.
Promoting Geosciences at Minority-Serving and 2-Year Colleges
Authors: Petcovic Heather , Turner Sheldon , LaDue Nicole
Published: February 2016

Geo-Needs Focus Group Meetings; Naperville, Illinois, 5–7 and 9–11 August 2015
Athermal domain-wall creep near a ferroelectric quantum critical point
Authors: Kagawa Fumitaka , Minami Nao , Horiuchi Sachio , Tokura Yoshinori
Published: February 2016

Ferroelectric domain walls are typically stationary because of the presence of a pinning potential. Nevertheless, thermally activated, irreversible creep motion can occur under a moderate electric field, thereby underlying rewritable and non-volatile memory applications. Conversely, as the temperature decreases, the occurrence of creep motion becomes less likely and eventually impossible under realistic electric-field magnitudes. Here we show that such frozen ferroelectric domain walls recover their mobility under the influence of quantum fluctuations. Nonlinear permittivity and polarization-retention measurements of an organic charge-transfer complex reveal that ferroelectric domain-wall creep occurs via an athermal process when the system is tuned close to a pressure-driven ferroelectric quantum critical point. Despite the heavy masses of material building blocks such as molecules, the estimated effective mass of the domain wall is comparable to the proton mass, indicating the realization of a ferroelectric domain wall with a quantum-particle nature near the quantum critical point.
A potential hidden layer of meteorites below the ice surface of Antarctica
Authors: Evatt G. W. , Coughlan M. J. , Joy K. H. , Smedley A. R. D. , Connolly P. J. , Abrahams I. D.
Published: February 2016

Antarctica contains some of the most productive regions on Earth for collecting meteorites. These small areas of glacial ice are known as meteorite stranding zones, where upward-flowing ice combines with high ablation rates to concentrate large numbers of englacially transported meteorites onto their surface. However, meteorite collection data shows that iron and stony-iron meteorites are significantly under-represented from these regions as compared with all other sites on Earth. Here we explain how this discrepancy may be due to englacial solar warming, whereby meteorites a few tens of centimetres below the ice surface can be warmed up enough to cause melting of their surrounding ice and sink downwards. We show that meteorites with a high-enough thermal conductivity (for example, iron meteorites) can sink at a rate sufficient to offset the total annual upward ice transport, which may therefore permanently trap them below the ice surface and explain their absence from collection data.
Precision multidimensional assay for high-throughput microRNA drug discovery
Authors: Haefliger Benjamin , Prochazka Laura , Angelici Bartolomeo , Benenson Yaakov
Published: February 2016

Development of drug discovery assays that combine high content with throughput is challenging. Information-processing gene networks can address this challenge by integrating multiple potential targets of drug candidates’ activities into a small number of informative readouts, reporting simultaneously on specific and non-specific effects. Here we show a family of networks implementing this concept in a cell-based drug discovery assay for miRNA drug targets. The networks comprise multiple modules reporting on specific effects towards an intended miRNA target, together with non-specific effects on gene expression, off-target miRNAs and RNA interference pathway. We validate the assays using known perturbations of on- and off-target miRNAs, and evaluate an ∼700 compound library in an automated screen with a follow-up on specific and non-specific hits. We further customize and validate assays for additional drug targets and non-specific inputs. Our study offers a novel framework for precision drug discovery assays applicable to diverse target families.
Entropy generation in Gaussian quantum transformations: applying the replica method to continuous-variable quantum information theory
Authors: Gagatsos Christos N , Karanikas Alexandros I , Kordas Georgios , Cerf Nicolas J
Published: February 2016

In spite of their simple description in terms of rotations or symplectic transformations in phase space, quadratic Hamiltonians such as those modelling the most common Gaussian operations on bosonic modes remain poorly understood in terms of entropy production. For instance, determining the quantum entropy generated by a Bogoliubov transformation is notably a hard problem, with generally no known analytical solution, while it is vital to the characterisation of quantum communication via bosonic channels. Here we overcome this difficulty by adapting the replica method, a tool borrowed from statistical physics and quantum field theory. We exhibit a first application of this method to continuous-variable quantum information theory, where it enables accessing entropies in an optical parametric amplifier. As an illustration, we determine the entropy generated by amplifying a binary superposition of the vacuum and a Fock state, which yields a surprisingly simple, yet unknown analytical expression.
Analysing biodiversity and conservation knowledge products to support regional environmental assessments
Authors: Brooks Thomas M. , Akçakaya H. Resit , Burgess Neil D. , Butchart Stuart H.M. , Hilton-Taylor Craig , Hoffmann Michael , Juffe-Bignoli Diego , Kingston Naomi , MacSharry Brian , Parr Mike , Perianin Laurence , Regan Eugenie C. , Rodrigues Ana S.L. , Rondinini Carlo , Shennan-Farpon Yara , Young Bruce E.
Published: February 2016

Two processes for regional environmental assessment are currently underway: the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) and Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Both face constraints of data, time, capacity, and resources. To support these assessments, we disaggregate three global knowledge products according to their regions and subregions. These products are: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Key Biodiversity Areas (specifically Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas [IBAs], and Alliance for Zero Extinction [AZE] sites), and Protected Planet. We present fourteen Data citations: numbers of species occurring and percentages threatened; numbers of endemics and percentages threatened; downscaled Red List Indices for mammals, birds, and amphibians; numbers, mean sizes, and percentage coverages of IBAs and AZE sites; percentage coverage of land and sea by protected areas; and trends in percentages of IBAs and AZE sites wholly covered by protected areas. These data will inform the regional/subregional assessment chapters on the status of biodiversity, drivers of its decline, and institutional responses, and greatly facilitate comparability and consistency between the different regional/subregional assessments.