bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sonographic diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children: a 3‐year retrospective
Authors: Reddan Tristan , Corness Jonathan , Mengersen Kerrie , Harden Fiona
Published: June 2016

Introduction

Ultrasound is commonly used as a tool for investigation of acute appendicitis in children. The accuracy of ultrasound in appendicitis depends on the ability to visualise the appendix and the potential contribution from secondary signs. The study was a retrospective analysis of children referred for sonographic investigation of possible acute appendicitis at an Australian tertiary paediatric hospital between January 2008 and December 2010.

Methods

Radiology reports, ultrasound images and electronic medical records were evaluated for eligible patients. The ability to visualise the appendix and determine secondary sonographic signs was evaluated for diagnostic accuracy.

Results

The study identified 457 eligible children, with the appendix visualised on ultrasound in 40.7% of cases. Using a binary diagnostic model that incorporated equivocal results, sensitivity of ultrasound to diagnose acute appendicitis was 88.1%, specificity 91.4% and accuracy 90.4%. Ultrasound was found to have a high negative predictive value (96.3%), and the presence of echogenic mesentery had a positive predictive value of 89.4%.

Discussion

Our results compare favourably with other studies, but indicate the potential for improvement in accuracy and visualisation, with a future study incorporating new methods of categorising ultrasound findings currently being undertaken.
Concise Review: Human Embryonic Stem Cells—What Have We Done? What Are We Doing? Where Are We Going?
Authors: Ilic Dusko , Ogilvie Caroline
Published: June 2016

Human pluripotent stem cells possess remarkable proliferative and developmental capacity and thus have great potential for advancement of cellular therapy, disease modeling, and drug discovery. Twelve years have passed since the first reported isolation of human embryonic stem cell lines (hESC), followed in October 2010 by the first treatment of a patient with hESC-based cellular therapy at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Despite seemingly insurmountable challenges and obstacles in the early days, hESC clinical potential reached application in an extraordinarily short time. Eight currently ongoing clinical trials are yielding encouraging results, and these are likely to lead to new trials for other diseases. However, with the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), disease-specific hESC lines derived from patients undergoing preimplantation genetic diagnosis for single gene disorders fell short of expectations. Lack of ethical controversy made human iPSC (hiPSC) with specific genotypes/phenotypes more appealing than hESC for drug discovery and toxicology-related studies, and in time, lines from HLA-homologous hiPSC banks are likely to take over from hESC in clinical applications. Currently, hESC are indispensable; the results of hESC-based clinical trials will set a gold standard for future iPSC-based cellular therapy.
NANOG Reverses the Myogenic Differentiation Potential of Senescent Stem Cells by Restoring ACTIN Filamentous Organization and SRF-Dependent Gene Expression
Authors: Mistriotis Panagiotis , Bajpai Vivek K. , Wang Xiaoyan , Rong Na , Shahini Aref , Asmani Mohammadnabi , Liang Mao-Shih , Wang Jianmin , Lei Pedro , Liu Song , Zhao Ruogang , Andreadis Stelios T.
Published: June 2016

Cellular senescence as a result of organismal aging or progeroid diseases leads to stem cell pool exhaustion hindering tissue regeneration and contributing to the progression of age related disorders. Here we discovered that ectopic expression of the pluripotent factor NANOG in senescent or progeroid myogenic progenitors reversed cellular aging and restored completely the ability to generate contractile force. To elicit its effects, NANOG enabled reactivation of the ROCK and Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β pathways—both of which were impaired in senescent cells—leading to ACTIN polymerization, MRTF-A translocation into the nucleus and serum response factor (SRF)-dependent myogenic gene expression. Collectively our data reveal that cellular senescence can be reversed and provide a novel strategy to regain the lost function of aged stem cells without reprogramming to the pluripotent state.
Self‐synthesized epoxy terminated polydimethylsiloxane with various molecular weights toughening epoxy resin
Authors: Li Bo , Ran Qianping , Sun Dewen , Yin Hao , Wan Yun , Liu Yuting , Mao Yonglin , Liu Jiaping
Published: June 2016

Polydimethylsiloxane terminated by epoxy group (EP‐PDMS) with various molecular weight (
) were synthesized by 1,3‐bis[3‐(2,3‐epoxypropoxy)‐propyl]‐1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane (DOTMDS) and dimethylcyclosiloxane (Dn). The epoxy value measured by potentiometric titration, were 0.161, 0.092, 0.065, 0.044 mol/100 g, and the
(calculated from epoxy value) 1,242, 2,174, 3,077, 4,545 g/mol, respectively (corresponding to EP‐PDMS1, 2, 3, 4). With the increasing ratio of Dn/DOTMDS, we can see the increase of
and the decrease of epoxy group content according to FTIR result. Then these EP‐PDMS were used to improve the toughness of the epoxy resin (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, DGEBA). Mechanical tests showed that, the impact strength of the epoxy resin was improved by EP‐PDMS. The toughening effect was decreased when EP‐PDMS with relative higher
was used. This was ascribed to that the EP‐PDMS with high
was easier to agglomerate, and the active group was easier to be embedded which in turn resulted in lower toughening efficiency. This was also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy results. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 24:268–274, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Developing a critical agenda to understand pro‐environmental actions: contributions from Social Representations and Social Practices Theories
Authors: Batel Susana , Castro Paula , Devine‐Wright Patrick , Howarth Caroline
Published: June 2016

Debates over the value and compatibility of different approaches to understanding and changing environmental‐relevant actions proliferate across the social sciences. This article reviews and discusses some of the (socio‐)psychological and sociological approaches in those debates. We will start by critically reviewing the (socio‐)psychological perspectives, highlighting two main shortcomings. First, they are often partial in their focus—concentrating on the consumption side of climate‐relevant actions and, relatedly in changing these actions at the individual level. They tend to assume that individual change equates to social change and, with that, fail to contextualize ‘anti’‐environmental actions in current neoliberal, capitalist societies. Second, they usually present the mainstream (socio‐)psychological approaches, which are ontologically individualistic and cognitive, as the only existent ones, therefore neglecting other perspectives within Social Psychology which might actually be (more) compatible with sociological perspectives. We then suggest that Social Representations Theory (SRT), as an ontologically social‐psychological approach and a theory of social change, might be reconciled with sociological approaches, such as Social Practices Theory (SPT), in contrast to the more individualistic (socio‐)psychological perspectives. After reviewing the main tenets ofSRT, its discrepancies and potential synergies withSPT, we discuss how both can be articulated to understand different stages of the social change process toward more environmentally sustainable societies. WhileSPTmight be more suitable to understand stability or how some actions become habitual,SRTmight be better equipped to understand how those change, or how individuals and groups negotiate new actions with old ones.WIREs Clim Change2016, 7:727–745. doi: 10.1002/wcc.417

This article is categorized under:

Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Behavior Change and Responses
The diameter of mobile ad hoc networks
Authors: Peng Yunfeng , Jia Riheng , Gao Xing , Gan Xiaoying
Published: June 2016

With the prevalence of mobile devices, it is of much interest to study the properties of mobile ad hoc networks. In this paper, we extend the concept of diameter from static ad hoc network to mobile ad hoc network, which is the expected number of rounds for one node to transmit a message to all other nodes in the network, reflecting the worst end‐to‐end delay between any two node. Specifically, we investigate the diameter of identically and independently mobility model in cell‐partitioned network and random walk mobility model in two‐dimensional torus network, achieving the boundary
, when (k=Ω(n)), and O(k log2k), respectively, where n is the number of nodes and k is the number of cells of network and especially under random walk mobility model
. A comparison is made among the diameter of mobile ad hoc networks under identically and independently mobility model, random walk mobility model and static ad hoc network, showing that mobility dramatically decreases the diameter of the network and speed is an essential and decisive factor of diameter. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
5G multimedia massive MIMO communications systems
Authors: Ge Xiaohu , Wang Haichao , Zi Ran , Li Qiang , Ni Qiang
Published: June 2016

In the fifth generation (5G) wireless communication systems, a majority of the traffic demands are contributed by various multimedia applications. To support the future 5G multimedia communication systems, the massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) technique is recognized as a key enabler because of its high spectral efficiency. The massive antennas and radio frequency chains not only improve the implementation cost of 5G wireless communication systems but also result in an intense mutual coupling effect among antennas because of the limited space for deploying antennas. To reduce the cost, an optimal equivalent precoding matrix with the minimum number of radio frequency chains is proposed for 5G multimedia massive MIMO communication systems considering the mutual coupling effect. Moreover, an upper bound of the effective capacity is derived for 5G multimedia massive MIMO communication systems. Two antennas that receive diversity gain models are built and analyzed. The impacts of the antenna spacing, the number of antennas, the quality‐of‐service (QoS) statistical exponent, and the number of independent incident directions on the effective capacity of 5G multimedia massive MIMO communication systems are analyzed. Comparing with the conventional zero‐forcing precoding matrix, simulation results demonstrate that the proposed optimal equivalent precoding matrix can achieve a higher achievable rate for 5G multimedia massive MIMO communication systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bellwether Procedures for Monitoring and Planning Essential Surgical Care in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries: Caesarean Delivery, Laparotomy, and Treatment of Open Fractures
Authors: O’Neill Kathleen M. , Greenberg Sarah L. M. , Cherian Meena , Gillies Rowan D. , Daniels Kimberly M. , Roy Nobhojit , Raykar Nakul P. , Riesel Johanna N. , Spiegel David , Watters David A. , Gruen Russell L.
Published: June 2016

Background

Surgical conditions represent a significant proportion of the global burden of disease, and therefore, surgery is an essential component of health systems. Achieving universal health coverage requires effective monitoring of access to surgery. However, there is no widely accepted standard for the required capabilities of a first‐level hospital. We aimed to determine whether a group of operations could be used to describe the delivery of essential surgical care.

Methods

We convened an expert panel to identify procedures that might indicate the presence of resources needed to treat an appropriate range of surgical conditions at first‐level hospitals. Using data from the World Health Organization Emergency and Essential Surgical Care Global database, collected using the WHO Situational Analysis Tool (SAT), we analysed whether the ability to perform each of these procedures—which we term “bellwether procedures”—was associated with performing a full range of essential surgical procedures.

Findings

The ability to perform caesarean delivery, laparotomy, and treatment of open fracture was closely associated with performing all obstetric, general, basic, emergency, and orthopaedic procedures (p < 0.001) in the population that responded to the WHO SAT Survey. Procedures including cleft lip, cataract, and neonatal surgery did not correlate with performing the bellwether procedures.

Interpretation

Caesarean delivery, laparotomy, and treatment of open fractures should be standard procedures performed at first‐level hospitals. With further validation in other populations, local managers and health ministries may find this useful as a benchmark for what first‐level hospitals can and should be able to perform on a 24/7 basis in order to ensure delivery of emergency and essential surgical care to their population. Those procedures which did not correlate with the bellwether procedures can be referred to a specialized centre or collected for treatment by a visiting specialist team.
The Quality of Open-Access Video-Based Orthopaedic Instructional Content for the Shoulder Physical Exam is Inconsistent
Authors: Urch Ekaterina , Taylor Samuel A. , Cody Elizabeth , Fabricant Peter D. , Burket Jayme C. , O'Brien Stephen J. , Dines David M. , Dines Joshua S.
Published: June 2016

Background

The internet has an increasing role in both patient and physician education. While several recent studies critically appraised the quality and accuracy of web-based written information available to patients, no studies have evaluated such parameters for open-access video content designed for provider use.

Questions/Purposes

The primary goal of the study was to determine the accuracy of internet-based instructional videos featuring the shoulder physical examination.

Methods

An assessment of quality and accuracy of said video content was performed using the basic shoulder examination as a surrogate for the “best-case scenario” due to its widely accepted components that are stable over time. Three search terms (“shoulder,” “examination,” and “shoulder exam”) were entered into the four online video resources most commonly accessed by orthopaedic surgery residents (VuMedi, G9MD, Orthobullets, and YouTube). Videos were captured and independently reviewed by three orthopaedic surgeons. Quality and accuracy were assessed in accordance with previously published standards.

Results

Of the 39 video tutorials reviewed, 61% were rated as fair or poor. Specific maneuvers such as the Hawkins test, O'Brien sign, and Neer impingement test were accurately demonstrated in 50, 36, and 27% of videos, respectively. Inter-rater reliability was excellent (mean kappa 0.80, range 0.79–0.81).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that information presented in open-access video tutorials featuring the physical examination of the shoulder is inconsistent. Trainee exposure to such potentially inaccurate information may have a significant impact on trainee education.
Pkw-Nutzung im Wandel des Geschlechterverhältnisses – Trends über drei Jahrzehnte
Authors: Konrad Kathrin , Scheiner Joachim , Holz-Rau Christian
Published: June 2016

This paper aims at answering the question, how the usage of cars both of men and women has changed in Germany in the context of changing gender relations during the last decades. Moreover, gender-specific differences in car usage are pointed out and their root causes are analysed based on German Travel Survey data. This is achieved by tracing the development of gender-specific car usage between 1976 and 2008 and interpreting the trends identified in a wider context of societal changes. The analyses conducted give results on whether gender-specific car usage results from social roles (e. g. labour participation), restrictions (e. g. lower car availability of women), economically rational household decisions on the car as a restricted resource, or gender-specific preferences. Beyond that it is shown how car usage has changed with respect to men and women with different characteristics (e. g. household motorization, labour participation, household type, municipality size). The results given in the paper show that convergence of men’s and women’s car usage predominantly results from an increasing women’s car usage. Regarding households where the number of drivers exceeds the number of available cars, i. e. the available cars are shared, we find a re-allocation of the scarce resource car between men and women. Yet, this trend varies: For example, women’s car usage increases stronger in small and in medium municipalities than in big cities. Furthermore, the results hint at gender-specific preferences: Even under very similar conditions such as full-time employment and unrestricted car availability, women use the car less often than men.
Corrigendum to “Analysis of degenerate cross-diffusion population models with volume filling” [Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré 34 (1) (2017) 1–29]
Authors: Zamponi Nicola , Jüngel Ansgar
Published: June 2016

This note corrects Lemma 7 in [1] on the positive (semi-)definiteness of a certain matrix product, which yields a priori estimates for the cross-diffusion system.
Primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix: Experience at La Paz University Hospital of Madrid (1967–2014)
Authors: Arellano Miguel León , González-Domínguez Yannko , Molina-Ortiz Fernando , Heras Garceau María Alexandra , Cantero Ramón , Rodríguez-Montes José Antonio
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT

Background:

Primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix (PAA) is a rare tumor, and it represents 0.03% of all appendiceal pathology. Diagnosis is made during histopathological study in patients with acute appendicitis.

Objective:

This study aimed to present our experience in this pathology.

Methods and Materials:

Retrospective study of all patients with acute appendicitis (AA) at University Hospital La Paz of Madrid, during 47 years (1967–2014). We studied age, gender, preoperative diagnose, surgery, histopathology, evolution and survival rate.

Results:

There were 44 patients with mean age 60.3 years (32–91) with PAA; 25 (47%) were male. The most common preoperative diagnosis was AA in 29 cases (66%), followed by right lower quadrant plastron in 12 cases (27%). AA coexisted in 12 cases (27%). The first surgery was an appendectomy in 32 patients (73%) and right colectomy in 12 (27%). In 32 patients who had an appendectomy, a right colectomy was done between 2 and 5 weeks after first surgery. 30 cases (68%) were well differentiated mucosecretor adenocarcinoma. In 37 cases, tumoral invasion affected serous layer without lymph node affection. 12-year survival rate was 59%. Mean follow up time was 8.2 years (4 months–32 years).

Conclusions:

PAA is a rare tumor, and in our series it represented 0.01% of 53,019 appendectomies. Preoperative diagnosis was unusual. Clinical presentation was similar to appendicitis. Elective treatment was right colectomy.

Highlights
Partial least squares path modeling: Time for some serious second thoughts
Authors: Rönkkö Mikko , McIntosh Cameron N. , Antonakis John , Edwards Jeffrey R.
Published: June 2016

Partial least squares (PLS) path modeling is increasingly being promoted as a technique of choice for various analysis scenarios, despite the serious shortcomings of the method. The current lack of methodological justification for PLS prompted the editors of this journal to declare that research using this technique is likely to be desk‐rejected (Guide and Ketokivi, 2015). To provide clarification on the inappropriateness of PLS for applied research, we provide a non‐technical review and empirical demonstration of its inherent, intractable problems. We show that although the PLS technique is promoted as a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, it is simply regression with scale scores and thus has very limited capabilities to handle the wide array of problems for which applied researchers use SEM. To that end, we explain why the use of PLS weights and many rules of thumb that are commonly employed with PLS are unjustifiable, followed by addressing why the touted advantages of the method are simply untenable.
The performance of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging in predicting liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases
Authors: Lin Yi‐Hung , Yeh Ming‐Lun , Huang Ching‐I , Yang Jeng‐Fu , Liang Po‐Cheng , Huang Chung‐Feng , Dai Chia‐Yen , Lin Zu‐Yau , Chen Shinn‐Cherng , Huang Jee‐Fu , Yu Ming‐Lung , Chuang Wan‐Long
Published: June 2016

Sonography‐based noninvasive liver fibrosis assessment is promising in the prediction of treatment efficacy and prognosis in chronic liver disease (CLD) patients. Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) is a newly‐developed transient elastography (TE) method integrated into a conventional ultrasound machine. The study aimed to assess the performance of ARFI imaging in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in Taiwanese CLD patients. We also aimed to search for the optimal cut‐off values in different fibrosis stages. A total of 60 CLD patients (40 males; mean age, 51.8 ± 11 years) were consecutively included. They received standard ARFI measurement within 2 weeks at the time of liver biopsy. There were eight patients with Metavir fibrosis stage 0 (F0), 16 patients with F1, 20 patients with F2, eight patients with F3, and eight patients with F4, respectively. The mean values among patient with F0, F1, F2, F3, and F4 were 1.17 ± 0.13, 1.30 ± 0.17, 1.31 ± 0.24, 2.01 ± 0.45, and 2.69 ± 0.91, respectively (p < 0.001). The optimal cut‐off ARFI value for significant fibrosis (F ≥ 2) was 1.53 with the accuracy of 0.733, while it was 1.66 for advanced fibrosis (F ≥ 3) with the accuracy of 0.957. Our study demonstrated that ARFI imaging is competent for fibrosis diagnosis, particularly in CLD patients with advanced fibrosis.
Educación médica basada en competencias: la nueva Torre de Babel
Authors: Martinez-Folgar Kevin
Published: June 2016

A partir del proyecto Tunning desarrollado en Europa, las universidades en América Latina han optado por la educación basada en competencias como un nuevo paradigma y guía docente que promete ser la solución a la necesidad del mercado laboral. Poco se sabe sobre métodos de estandarización del aprendizaje basado en competencias y, aún más importante, sobre el poder evaluarlas para brindar una certificación que asegure el dominio de las distintas  competencias.
“Just-in-Time” Personal Preparedness: Downloads and Usage Patterns of the American Red Cross Hurricane Application During Hurricane Sandy
Authors: Kirsch Thomas D. , Circh Ryan , Bissell Richard A. , Goldfeder Matthew
Published: June 2016

Objective

Personal preparedness is a core activity but has been found to be frequently inadequate. Smart phone applications have many uses for the public, including preparedness. In 2012 the American Red Cross began releasing “disaster” apps for family preparedness and recovery. The Hurricane App was widely used during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Methods

Patterns of download of the application were analyzed by using a download tracking tool by the American Red Cross and Google Analytics. Specific variables included date, time, and location of individual downloads; number of page visits and views; and average time spent on pages.

Results

As Hurricane Sandy approached in late October, daily downloads peaked at 152,258 on the day of landfall and by mid-November reached 697,585. Total page views began increasing on October 25 with over 4,000,000 page views during landfall compared to 3.7 million the first 3 weeks of October with a 43,980% increase in views of the “Right Before” page and a 76,275% increase in views of the “During” page.

Conclusions

The Hurricane App offered a new type of “just-in-time” training that reached tens of thousands of families in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. The app allowed these families to access real-time information before and after the storm to help them prepare and recover. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;page 1 of 6)
Disaster Medicine in China: Present and Future
Authors: Hou Shi-ke , Lv Qi , Ding Hui , Zhang Yong-zhong , Yu Bao-guo , Liu Zi-quan , Su Bin , Liu Jin-Yang , Yu Meng-yang , Sun Zhi-guang , Fan Hao-jun
Published: June 2016

Disaster can strike people in any community at any time anywhere in the world. Disasters occur with high frequency, take on multiple forms, and exert wide influence, typically causing property damage, injuries, and death. As the world’s largest developing country, China incurs great costs when a disaster hits. After the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, the Chinese government focused its attention on the construction of an emergency response system, the creation of disaster prevention and mitigation systems, and the development of a disaster medicine program. Here, we describe the current status of disaster medicine in China, focusing on the following four aspects: the Emergency Management System, Education & Training, Rescue Practices, and Research. We also discuss the future of disaster medicine in China. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:157–165)
Policies for Controlling Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in US Healthcare Facilities Reporting to the National Healthcare Safety Network, 2014
Authors: Weiner Lindsey M. , Webb Amy K. , Walters Maroya S. , Dudeck Margaret A. , Kallen Alexander J.
Published: June 2016

We examined reported policies for the control of common multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in US healthcare facilities using data from the National Healthcare Safety Network Annual Facility Survey. Policies for the use of Contact Precautions were commonly reported. Chlorhexidine bathing for preventing MDRO transmission was also common among acute care hospitals.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016:1–4
Transport and instability in driven two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic flows
Authors: Durston Sam , Gilbert Andrew D.
Published: June 2016

This paper concerns the generation of large-scale flows in forced two-dimensional systems. A Kolmogorov flow with a sinusoidal profile in one direction (driven by a body force) is known to become unstable to a large-scale flow in the perpendicular direction at a critical Reynolds number. This can occur in the presence of a ${\it\beta}$-effect and has important implications for flows observed in geophysical and astrophysical systems. It has recently been termed ‘zonostrophic instability’ and studied in a variety of settings, both numerically and analytically. The goal of the present paper is to determine the effect of magnetic field on such instabilities using the quasi-linear approximation, in which the full fluid system is decoupled into a mean flow and waves of one scale. The waves are driven externally by a given random body force and move on a fast time scale, while their stress on the mean flow causes this to evolve on a slow time scale. Spatial scale separation between waves and mean flow is also assumed, to allow analytical progress. The paper first discusses purely hydrodynamic transport of vorticity including zonostrophic instability, the effect of uniform background shear and calculation of equilibrium profiles in which the effective viscosity varies spatially, through the mean flow. After brief consideration of passive scalar transport or equivalently kinematic magnetic field evolution, the paper then proceeds to study the full magnetohydrodynamic system and to determine effective diffusivities and other transport coefficients using a mixture of analytical and numerical methods. This leads to results on the effect of magnetic field, background shear and ${\it\beta}$-effect on zonostrophic instability and magnetically driven instabilities.
Turbulence attenuation in simultaneously heated and cooled annular flows at supercritical pressure
Authors: Peeters Jurriaan W. R. , Pecnik R. , Rohde M. , van der Hagen T. H. J. J. , Boersma B. J.
Published: June 2016

Heated or cooled fluids at supercritical pressure show large variations in thermophysical properties, such as the density, dynamic viscosity and molecular Prandtl number, which strongly influence turbulence characteristics. To investigate this, direct numerical simulations were performed of a turbulent flow at supercritical pressure (CO$_{2}$at 8 MPa) in an annulus with a hot inner wall and a cold outer wall. The pseudo-critical temperature lies close to the inner wall, which results in strong thermophysical property variations in that region. The turbulent shear stress and the turbulent intensities significantly decrease near the hot inner wall, but increase near the cold outer wall, which can be partially attributed to the mean dynamic viscosity and density stratification. This leads to decreased production of turbulent kinetic energy near the inner wall and vice versa near the outer wall. However, by analysing a transport equation for the coherent streak flank strength, it was found that thermophysical property fluctuations significantly affect streak evolution. Near the hot wall, thermal expansion and buoyancy tend to decrease streak coherence, while the viscosity gradient that exists across the streaks interacts with mean shear to act as either a source or a sink in the evolution equation for the coherent streak flank strength. The formation of streamwise vortices on the other hand is hindered by the torque that is the result of the kinetic energy and density gradients. Near the cold wall, the results are reversed, i.e. the coherent streak flank strength and the streamwise vortices are enhanced due to the variable density and dynamic viscosity. The results show that not only the mean stratification but also the large instantaneous thermophysical property variations that occur in heated or cooled fluids at supercritical pressure have a significant effect on turbulent structures that are responsible for the self-regeneration process in near-wall turbulence. Thus, instantaneous density and dynamic viscosity fluctuations are responsible for decreased (or increased) turbulent motions in heated (or cooled) fluids at supercritical pressure.
Linear stability of Hill’s vortex to axisymmetric perturbations
Authors: Protas Bartosz , Elcrat Alan
Published: June 2016

We consider the linear stability of Hill’s vortex with respect to axisymmetric perturbations. Given that Hill’s vortex is a solution of a free-boundary problem, this stability analysis is performed by applying methods of shape differentiation to the contour dynamics formulation of the problem in a three-dimensional axisymmetric geometry. This approach allows us to systematically account for the effect of boundary deformations on the linearized evolution of the vortex under the constraint of constant circulation. The resulting singular integro-differential operator defined on the vortex boundary is discretized with a highly accurate spectral approach. This operator has two unstable and two stable eigenvalues complemented by a continuous spectrum of neutrally stable eigenvalues. By considering a family of suitably regularized (smoothed) eigenvalue problems solved with a range of numerical resolutions, we demonstrate that the corresponding eigenfunctions are in fact singular objects in the form of infinitely sharp peaks localized at the front and rear stagnation points. These findings thus refine the results of the classical analysis by Moffatt & Moore (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 87, 1978, pp. 749–760).
Free instability of channel bifurcations and morphodynamic influence
Authors: Redolfi M. , Zolezzi G. , Tubino M.
Published: June 2016

Channel bifurcations are a fundamental element of a broad variety of flowing freshwater environments worldwide, such as braiding and anabranching rivers, river deltas and alluvial fans. River bifurcations often develop asymmetrical configurations with uneven discharge partition and a bed elevation gap between the downstream anabranches. This has been reproduced by one-dimensional (1-D) analytical theories which, however, rely on the empirical calibration of one or more parameters and cannot provide a clear and detailed physical explanation of the observed dynamics. We propose a novel two-dimensional (2-D) solution for the flow and bed topography in channel bifurcations based on an innovative application to a multi-thread channel configuration of the 2-D steady linear solution developed decades ago to study river bars and meandering in single thread river settings. The resonant value of the upstream channel aspect ratio, corresponding to the theoretical resonance condition of regular river meanders (Blondeaux & Seminara,J. Fluid Mech., vol. 157, 1985, pp. 449–470) is the key parameter discriminating between symmetrical and asymmetrical bifurcations, in quantitative agreement with experimental observations and numerical simulations, and qualitatively matching field observations. Only when the aspect ratio of the upstream channel of the bifurcation exceeds resonance, is the bifurcation node able to trigger the upstream development of a steady alternate bar pattern, thus creating an unbalanced configuration. Ultimately, the work provides an analytical explanation of the intrinsic legacy between bifurcation asymmetry and the phenomenon of 2-D upstream morphodynamic influence discovered by Zolezzi & Seminara (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 438, 2001, pp. 183–211).
Convective dynamo action in a spherical shell: symmetries and modulation
Authors: Raynaud Raphaël , Tobias Steven M.
Published: June 2016

We consider dynamo action driven by three-dimensional rotating anelastic convection in a spherical shell. Motivated by the behaviour of the solar dynamo, we examine the interaction of hydromagnetic modes with different symmetries and demonstrate how complicated interactions between convection, differential rotation and magnetic fields may lead to modulation of the basic cycle. For some parameters, type 1 modulation occurs by the transfer of energy between modes of different symmetries with little change in the overall amplitude; for other parameters, the modulation is of type 2, where the amplitude is significantly affected (leading to grand minima in activity) without significant changes in symmetry. Most importantly, we identify the presence of ‘supermodulation’ in the solutions, where the activity switches chaotically between type 1 and type 2 modulation; this is believed to be an important process in solar activity.
Phoretic flow induced by asymmetric confinement
Authors: Lisicki Maciej , Michelin Sébastien , Lauga Eric
Published: June 2016

Internal phoretic flows due to the interactions of solid boundaries with local chemical gradients may be created using chemical patterning. Alternatively, we demonstrate here that internal flows might also be induced by geometric asymmetries of chemically homogeneous surfaces. We characterise the circulatory flow created in a cavity enclosed between two eccentric cylindrical walls of uniform chemical activity. Local gradients of the diffusing solute induce a slip flow along the surface of the cylinders, leading to a circulatory bulk flow pattern which can be solved analytically in the diffusive limit. The flow strength can be controlled by adjusting the relative positions of the cylinders, and an optimal configuration is identified. These results provide a model system for tunable phoretic pumps.
The Metallicity Distribution of the Milky Way Bulge
Authors: Ness M. , Freeman K.
Published: June 2016

The Galactic bulge of the Milky Way is made up of stars with a broad range of metallicity, –3.0 < [Fe/H] < 1 dex. The mean of the metallicity distribution function decreases as a function of heightzfrom the plane and, more weakly, with galactic radiusRGC. The most metal-rich stars in the inner Galaxy are concentrated to the plane and the more metal-poor stars are found predominantly further from the plane, with an overall vertical gradient in the mean of the metallicity distribution function of about − 0.45 dex kpc−1. This vertical gradient is believed to reflect the changing contribution with height of different populations in the innermost region of the Galaxy. The more metal-rich stars of the bulge are part of the boxy/peanut structure and comprise stars in orbits which trace out the underlying X-shape. There is still a lack of consensus on the origin of the metal-poor stars ([Fe/H] < −0.5) in the region of the bulge. Some studies attribute the more metal-poor stars of the bulge to the thick disk and stellar halo that are present in the inner region, and other studies propose that the metal-poor stars are a distinct ‘old spheroid’ bulge population. Understanding the origin of the populations that make up the metallicity distribution function of the bulge, and identifying if there is a unique bulge population which has formed separately from the disk and halo, has important consequences for identifying the relevant processes in the formation and evolution of the Milky Way.
Maternal dietary folate, folic acid and vitamin D intakes during pregnancy and lactation and the risk of cows’ milk allergy in the offspring
Authors: Tuokkola Jetta , Luukkainen Päivi , Kaila Minna , Takkinen Hanna-Mari , Niinistö Sari , Veijola Riitta , Virta Lauri J. , Knip Mikael , Simell Olli , Ilonen Jorma , Virtanen Suvi M.
Published: June 2016

Maternal nutrient intake during pregnancy and lactation potentially influences the development of allergic diseases. Cows’ milk allergy (CMA) is often the first manifestation of atopic diseases, but the impact of early nutritional influences on CMA has not been explored. The associations between maternal intakes of folate, folic acid and vitamin D during pregnancy and lactation were addressed in a prospective, population-based birth cohort within the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Study. Mothers of 4921 children during pregnancy and 2940 children during lactation provided information on maternal dietary intake during the 8th month of pregnancy and the 3rd month of lactation using a detailed, validated FFQ. Information on diagnosed CMA in the offspring was obtained from a medical registry as well as queried from the parents. The Finnish food composition database was used to calculate nutrient intake. Logistic regression was applied for statistical analyses. Folate intake and folic acid and vitamin D supplement use were associated with an increased risk of CMA in the offspring, whereas vitamin D intake from foods during pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of CMA. Thus, maternal nutrient intake during pregnancy and lactation may affect the development of CMA in offspring. Supplementation with folic acid may not be beneficial in terms of CMA development, especially in children of allergic mothers. The association between dietary supplement use and CMA risk can at least partly be explained by increased health-seeking behaviour among more educated mothers who also use more dietary supplements.
OPTIMAL STRATEGY IN “GUESS WHO?”: BEYOND BINARY SEARCH
Authors: Nica Mihai
Published: June 2016

“Guess Who?” is a popular two player game where players ask “Yes”/“No” questions to search for their opponent's secret identity from a pool of possible candidates. This is modeled as a simple stochastic game. Using this model, the optimal strategy is explicitly found. Contrary to popular belief, performing a binary search is not always optimal. Instead, the optimal strategy for the player who trails is to make certain bold plays in an attempt catch up. This is discovered by first analyzing a continuous version of the game where players play indefinitely and the winner is never decided after finitely many rounds.
Coherent groups of units of integral group rings and direct products of free groups
Authors: DEL RÍO ÁNGEL , ZALESSKII PAVEL
Published: June 2016

We classify the finite groups G for which $\mathcal{U}({\mathbb Z} G)$, the group of units of the integral group ring of G, does not contain a direct product of two non-abelian free groups. This list of groups contains all the groups for which $\mathcal{U}({\mathbb Z} G)$ is coherent. This reduces the problem to classify the finite groups G for which $\mathcal{U}({\mathbb Z} G)$ is coherent to decide about the coherency of a finite list of groups of the form SLn(R), with R an order in a finite dimensional rational division algebra.
Assessing the efficiency of protected areas to represent biodiversity: a small island case study – CORRIGENDUM
Authors: VERGÍLIO MARTA , FONSECA CATARINA , CALADO HELENA , BORGES PAULO A.V. , ELIAS RUI BENTO , GABRIEL ROSALINA , MARTINS ANTÓNIO , AZEVEDO EDUARDO , CARDOSO PEDRO
Published: June 2016

In the article above the information on financial support was missed.
Butterfly Beads in the Neolithic Near East: Evolution, Technology and Socio-cultural Implications
Authors: Alarashi Hala
Published: June 2016

The study of butterfly beads, which first appeared during the tenth millennium cal. bc, covers an important span of the Neolithization process and gives new insights on the symbolic and socio-economic systems of the first farming communities in the Near East. By the end of the Pre-pottery Neolithic, butterfly beads acquired sophisticated shapes and became appreciably larger. Simultaneously, the choice of raw materials changed towards brighter and more colourful allochthonous rocks. These changes reflect a desire to make the butterfly beads more conspicuous as well as an increased demand for ‘prestige’ materials. The technological mastery required to shape and perforate these beads suggests craft specialization and changes in social organization. The morphological and technological complexity of these items, the aesthetic quality of their raw materials, the variability in the degrees of use-wear, along with the particularity of the archaeological contexts, imply a polysemantic reading of their symbolic functions. Butterfly beads were likely related to motherhood and fecundity. Objects of memory and valuable items of ‘prestige’, they comprised part of family or group heirlooms and were worn for special ceremonies. They undoubtedly represented the cultural identity of the first farming societies in upper Mesopotamia and the Levant.
Tick front-of-pack label has a positive nutritional impact on foods sold in New Zealand
Authors: Thomson Rachel K , McLean Rachael M , Ning Sherry X , Mainvil Louise A
Published: June 2016

Objective

Nutritional impact of the Tick front-of-pack labelling programme was evaluated by investigating nutrient changes to the purchased food supply and the nutritional quality of Tick v. non-Tick products. Factors influencing manufacturers’ decisions to develop and license Tick products were also explored.

Design

Observational, cross-sectional and change over time data.

Setting

New Zealand food supply, 2011–2013.

Subjects

Forty-five newly licensed Tick products from five food categories were analysed: Edible Oil Spreads, Yoghurt & Dairy Desserts, Frozen Desserts, Ready Meals and Processed Poultry. Four manufacturers of these products were interviewed.

Results

Eligible products (31 % of all Tick products in these categories) removed 4·1 million megajoules of energy, 156·0 tonnes of saturated fat, 15·4 tonnes of trans-fat and 4·0 tonnes of sodium from food products sold in New Zealand over three years. In each food category, these Tick products were, on average, 14–76 % lower in energy, saturated fat, trans-fat and sodium than non-Tick products, indicating healthier options. Participating manufacturers reported that international market trends and consumer demand for tasty, healthy foods primarily influenced Tick product development and sales. Tick was used as part of their marketing strategy as it was perceived as a credible, well-recognised logo for New Zealand consumers. Tick was cited as the primary initiative encouraging saturated fat reduction.

Conclusions

The Tick Programme is continuing to encourage manufacturers to make meaningful improvements to the nutritional quality of the New Zealand food supply. Over time, these changes are likely to influence population nutrient intakes and reduce CVD risk factors.
Biochip-based instruments development for space exploration: influence of the antibody immobilization process on the biochip resistance to freeze-drying, temperature shifts and cosmic radiations
Authors: Coussot G. , Moreau T. , Faye C. , Vigier F. , Baqué M. , Le Postollec A. , Incerti S. , Dobrijevic M. , Vandenabeele-Trambouze O.
Published: June 2016

Due to the diversity of antibody (Ab)-based biochips chemistries available and the little knowledge about biochips resistance to space constraints, immobilization of Abs on the surface of the biochips dedicated to Solar System exploration is challenging. In the present paper, we have developed ten different biochip models including covalent or affinity immobilization with full-length Abs or Ab fragments. Ab immobilizations were carried out in oriented/non-oriented manner using commercial activated surfaces withN-hydroxysuccinic ester (NHS-surfaces) or homemade surfaces using three generations of dendrimers (dendrigraft of poly L-lysine (DGL) surfaces). The performances of the Ab -based surfaces were cross-compared on the following criteria: (i) analytical performances (expressed by both the surface density of immobilized Abs and the amount of antigens initially captured by the surface) and (ii) resistance of surfaces to preparation procedure (freeze-drying, storage) or spatial constraints (irradiation and temperature shifts) encountered during a space mission. The latter results have been expressed as percentage of surface binding capacity losses (or percentage of remaining active Abs). The highest amount of captured antigen was achieved with Ab surfaces having full-length Abs and DGL-surfaces that have much higher surface densities than commercial NHS-surface. After freeze-drying process, thermal shift and storage sample exposition, we found that more than 80% of surface binding sites remained active in this case. In addition, the resistance of Ab surfaces to irradiation with particles such as electron, carbon ions or protons depends not only on the chemistries (covalent/affinity linkages) and strategies (oriented/non-oriented) used to construct the biochip, but also on the type, energy and fluence of incident particles. Our results clearly indicate that full-length Ab immobilization on NHS-surfaces and DGL-surfaces should be preferred for potential use in instruments for planetary exploration.
Genetic distinctiveness of safflower cultivars of India and Mexico as revealed by SSR markers
Authors: Kadirvel P. , Ravi D. , Mukta N. , Montoya-Coronado M.C.L. , Ghuge S.B. , Singh J. , Singh V. , Shinde S.K. , Deshmukh S.N. , Yadav P. , Varaprasad K.S.
Published: June 2016

Safflower is a traditional oilseed crop in the world. Its seed oil is a healthy edible oil containing high amount of unsaturated fatty acids. Genetically diverse exotic cultivars are valuable germplasm for introducing new diversity in safflower improvement programmes. In this study, we characterized safflower cultivars of India (30) and Mexico (23) comprising varieties, hybrids and advanced lines developed over 50 years for genetic distinctiveness using 38 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. Genetic diversity estimates across cultivar groups (total, India and Mexico) were as follows: mean number of alleles (3.2, 3.1, 2.6), expected heterozygosity (0.42, 0.37, 0.37) and polymorphism information content (0.36, 0.33, 0.32) respectively, which suggested narrow SSR allelic diversity within and between cultivar groups. However, distance-based cluster analysis (neighbour-joining tree) and model-based STRUCTURE analysis revealed that safflower cultivars of India and Mexico, with the exception of a few, form two genetically distinct groups. High level of genetic variation explained between the populations (40%) andFstestimate (0.4) suggested that the cultivar groups were highly differentiated with limited gene flow supporting a strong genetic structuring. High oil (~38%) and high oleic (73–79%) contents of a subset of Mexican safflower varieties and advanced lines were confirmed in field trials in India. These exotic sources from Mexico are valuable for safflower breeding programmes in India to develop new cultivars with high oil yielding potential and high oleic acid content, which is the current market demand.