bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of emulsion‐templated fluorinated polymers and their application in oil/water separation
Authors: Wu Pingping , Zhang Shengmiao , Yang Huaqing , Zhu Yun , Chen Jianding
Published: April 2018

A series of emulsion‐templated fluorinated polymers (polyHIPEs) were first synthesized with introducing 2‐(perfluorohexyl)ethyl methacrylate (PEM) to the external phase of water‐in‐styrene high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templates. The morphology (i.e., void size and its distribution) of these porous materials could be tuned simply by changing PEM and/or surfactant amount. The synergistic effect between the surface chemistry and surface architecture allowed the polyHIPEs to possess hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 151°. The superhydrophobicity and oleophilicity of the polyHIPEs, together with their highly open porous structure, make the material a very competitive candidate as a filtration material for oil/water separation in practice with the efficiency of separating dichloromethane from the oil/water mixture of 95%. Such oil/water separating capacity was maintained after 10 cycles of filtration of oil/water, indicating the cyclic usage of the polyHIPE is feasible. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem.2018,56, 1508–1515
Thermoresponsive polymeric nanoparticles based on poly(2‐oxazoline)s and tannic acid
Authors: Wang Chunying , Li Yunhui , Ma Yuqin , Gao Ying , Dong Dewen , Fang Jianyong , Zhang Ning
Published: April 2018

Hydrogen bonding is widely present and plays a significant role in material science and supramolecular chemistry. This work reports a straightforward strategy for the preparation of polymeric nanoparticles from neutral poly(2‐oxazoline)s (POx) and tannic acid (TA) driven by their intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurements showed that POx bearing different substituents, that is, methyl, ethyl andn‐propyl in the 2‐position all could assemble with TA into stable nanoparticles in water or ethanol. The diameter of the assembled nanoparticles could be manipulated by varying parameters such as molecular weight of POx, concentration and ratio of POx, and TA. Interestingly, POx/TA nanoparticles exhibited upper critical solution temperature (UCST)‐type thermoresponsive properties in ethanol or water depending on the molecular weight and substituent in the 2‐position of POx. Increasing or decreasing the temperature at the transition point resulted in the reversible transformation between assembled nanoparticles and disassembled poly(2‐n‐propyl‐2‐oxazoline) (PnPrOx) and TA. In view of the tailored size of the stable nanoparticles and the biocompatibilities of POx and TA, the prepared thermoresponsive nanoparticles are promising candidates as carriers for medicine toward related biomedical applications. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem.2018,56, 1520–1527
Solvent effects on the morphology and electrical conductivity of a D‐A random copolymer with low band gap
Authors: da Silva Daniel J. , Wang Shu Hui
Published: April 2018

D‐A copolymer systems have unique characteristics, such as low band gap and ambipolar nature, which are important to design electronic polymer devices. In this contribution, we synthesized and characterized a D‐A random copolymer containing bis‐3‐hexylthiophene‐benzothiadiazole as acceptor unit and 9,9‐dioctylfluorene as donor unit. We show that the polymeric film morphology depends of the Hansen solubility parameters, evaporation rate, and surface tension of the solvent. Chloroform, toluene, and 1,2,4‐trichlorobenzene (TCB) promote the formation of self‐assembled structures due to breath‐figure mechanism. In contrast, THF causes aggregation and phase separation that affect negatively the electrical conductivity of the copolymer film. Among the solvents analyzed, TCB is the one with the highest molecular interaction with the copolymer synthetized in this work. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018, 56, 1035–1044
Resistance selection of indoxacarb in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): cross‐resistance, biochemical mechanisms and associated fitness costs
Authors: Cui Li , Wang Qinqin , Qi Haoliang , Wang Qiyuan , Yuan Huizhu , Rui Changhui
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera is a worldwide insect pest with the ability to develop resistance to many insecticides. Indoxacarb, a sodium channel blocker, is an important insecticide that is used to control H. armigera. Cross‐resistance, metabolic mechanisms and life history traits were established for an indoxacarb‐selected (IND‐SEL) population of H. armigera.

RESULTS

After 11 generations of selection, the susceptibility to indoxacarb was decreased by 4.43‐fold and the estimated realized heritability (h2) was only 0.072. Interestingly, the IND‐SEL population was more susceptible to methoxyfenozide and abamectin than the susceptible population. The activities of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) and carboxyl esterase (CarE) were significantly increased in IND‐SEL H. armigera. Thus, susceptibility to indoxacarb was increased by piperonyl butoxide and S,S,S‐tributyl phosphorothioate, showing synergistic ratios of 2.54‐ and 1.82‐fold, respectively. Moreover, the IND‐SEL population had a reduced relative fitness (0.67), with a lower growth rate and fecundity than the susceptible population.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence from this study suggests that decreased susceptibility to indoxacarb may be associated with fitness costs in H. armigera and enhanced activities of P450 and CarE may be important detoxification mechanisms in the development of indoxacarb resistance. Methoxyfenozide and abamectin can be rotationally used to manage indoxacarb resistance. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Cu2ZnSnSe4: How Far Does Off‐Stoichiometry Go?
Authors: Gurieva Galina , Ferreira Rafael , Knoll Philipp , Schorr Susan
Published: April 2018

Polycrystalline powder samples of eight very far off‐stoichiometric Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) compounds (off‐stoichiometry types A–D) are grown using the solid‐state reaction method in evacuated silica tubes. An additional thermal annealing is performed, in order to study the influence of annealing on the phase content and stoichiometry of the CZTSe phases formed under these conditions. The structural characterization of the synthesized materials before as well as after annealing is carried out by powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), paying a special attention to the possibility of minimization the content of secondary phases. Wavelength dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (WDX) is used to determine the chemical composition of the obtained phases, paying a special attention to the phase constituents as well as the evolution of the CZTSe phases after the additional annealing. A comparative study of the phase content of very far off‐stoichiometric CZTSe compounds is presented. The possible limits of the existence region of the kesterite CZTSe are discussed.
Atomistic Simulations on the Tensile Deformation Behaviors of Three‐Dimensional Graphene
Authors: Liu Yang , Liu Jianjun , Yue Shaofeng , Zhao Junqing , Ouyang Bin , Jing Yuhang
Published: April 2018

Molecular dynamics simulations is used to investigate the mechanical properties of three‐dimensional (3D) graphene under uniaxial tensile loading. The results show that the tensile deformation of 3D graphene exhibits size dependence along both armchair and zigzag directions. By analyzing the atomic von Mises stress and structural evolution, compared to the 3D graphene with smaller in‐plane cell size, the larger 3D graphene exhibits two typical deformation events, i.e., transverse structural shrinkage and axial elastic deformation. The fracture stress of 3D graphene is much smaller than that of 2D graphene because of its porous structure. However, the fracture strain of 3D graphene is larger than that of 2D graphene due to the larger transverse structural shrinkage along both armchair and zigzag directions. Effects of temperature, strain rate, and thickness of 3D graphene on the tensile behavior is investigated. The simulation results indicate that the fracture stress and the fracture strain decrease with increasing temperature and with decreasing strain rate. However, the fracture stress and the fracture strain is not dependent on the thickness of 3D graphene. The results in this paper suggest that 3D graphene with higher stretchability tunable by in‐plane cell size can be promising multifunctional materials for many engineering applications.
The safety of St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) in pregnancy and lactation: A systematic review of rodent studies
Authors: Avila Catharine , Whitten Dawn , Evans Sue
Published: April 2018

Herbal products are popular among women during the perinatal period. St John's wort (SJW), Hypericum perforatum, is a common remedy for mild depression, a problem prevalent in this population. Although the safety of herbal products must be investigated, ethical issues constrain intervention studies in humans. Hence, animal studies often inform clinical decisions. The objective of this study is to systematically review rodent studies assessing the safety of SJW during the perinatal period. A literature search to November 10, 2017, identified 10 rodent studies that met a priori inclusion criteria. Study quality was evaluated according to both the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation tool for assessing bias and recommendations for appropriate reporting of herbal medicine research. Significant methodological limitations were found in each of the studies reviewed. These limitations include the lack of botanical verification and omission of extract characterization, inadequate explanation of dosage rationale, and absence of bias limiting protocols. Critical appraisal with contemporary tools indicates that each of the reviewed studies lacks appropriate rigour, rendering the results unreliable. Despite this, these papers are used in the rationale for recommending or contraindicating SJW during pregnancy and lactation.
Exposure, hazard, and survival analysis of diffusion on social networks
Authors: Wu Jiacheng , Crawford Forrest W. , Kim David A. , Stafford Derek , Christakis Nicholas A.
Published: April 2018

Sociologists, economists, epidemiologists, and others recognize the importance of social networks in the diffusion of ideas and behaviors through human societies. To measure the flow of information on real‐world networks, researchers often conduct comprehensive sociometric mapping of social links between individuals and then follow the spread of an “innovation” from reports of adoption or change in behavior over time. The innovation is introduced to a small number of individuals who may also be encouraged to spread it to their network contacts. In conjunction with the known social network, the pattern of adoptions gives researchers insight into the spread of the innovation in the population and factors associated with successful diffusion. Researchers have used widely varying statistical tools to estimate these quantities, and there is disagreement about how to analyze diffusion on fully observed networks. Here, we describe a framework for measuring features of diffusion processes on social networks using the epidemiological concepts of exposure and competing risks. Given a realization of a diffusion process on a fully observed network, we show that classical survival regression models can be adapted to estimate the rate of diffusion, and actor/edge attributes associated with successful transmission or adoption, while accounting for the topology of the social network. We illustrate these tools by applying them to a randomized network intervention trial conducted in Honduras to estimate the rate of adoption of 2 health‐related interventions—multivitamins and chlorine bleach for water purification—and determine factors associated with successful social transmission.
Performance of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) as a reliability index under various distributions in scale reliability studies
Authors: Mehta Shraddha , Bastero‐Caballero Rowena F. , Sun Yijun , Zhu Ray , Murphy Diane K. , Hardas Bhushan , Koch Gary
Published: April 2018

Many published scale validation studies determine inter‐rater reliability using the intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC). However, the use of this statistic must consider its advantages, limitations, and applicability. This paper evaluates how interaction of subject distribution, sample size, and levels of rater disagreement affects ICC and provides an approach for obtaining relevant ICC estimates under suboptimal conditions. Simulation results suggest that for a fixed number of subjects, ICC from the convex distribution is smaller than ICC for the uniform distribution, which in turn is smaller than ICC for the concave distribution. The variance component estimates also show that the dissimilarity of ICC among distributions is attributed to the study design (ie, distribution of subjects) component of subject variability and not the scale quality component of rater error variability. The dependency of ICC on the distribution of subjects makes it difficult to compare results across reliability studies. Hence, it is proposed that reliability studies should be designed using a uniform distribution of subjects because of the standardization it provides for representing objective disagreement. In the absence of uniform distribution, a sampling method is proposed to reduce the non‐uniformity. In addition, as expected, high levels of disagreement result in low ICC, and when the type of distribution is fixed, any increase in the number of subjects beyond a moderately large specification such as n = 80 does not have a major impact on ICC.
Size Effect of Multifarenes on Host‐Guest Interactions with Naphthylamines and Naphthols
Authors: Huang Yin‐Hui , Jin Xian‐Yi , Yan Shan , Cong Hang , Tao Zhu
Published: May 2018

Host‐guest interactions of multifarenes with naphthylamines and naphthols were investigated. Decreased fluorescence emission of the guests upon addition of increasing amounts of multifarene hosts confirmed the formation of host‐guest complexes in a ratio of 1:1. Non‐linear curve fitting showed moderate association constants of between (5.2 ± 0.7) × 103 and (2.3 ± 0.6) × 104 L mol−1. The stabilities of the complexes were dependent upon both the ring size of the host and the structure of the guest. 1H NMR spectra indicated that the interactions involved hydrogen bonds between the amine or hydroxyl groups of the guests and the hydroxyl groups of the multifarenes. Molecular simulations were performed to provide the microcosmic structures of the interaction complexes.
Effect of Adding Mode of Iron Oxide on Dephosphorization Behavior with the Recycling of Decarburization Slag
Authors: Xia Yunjin , Guo Xin , Li Jie , Fan Dingdong , Wang Shijun
Published: April 2018

The recycling of decarburization slag can considerably decrease the slag generation. However, the effect of recycling of decarburization slag, especially the adding mode of iron oxide on dephosphorization process has not been given more consideration. In this research, the effect of adding mode of iron oxide on dephosphorization behavior with the recycling of decarburization slag has been studied. The results indicate that the main phase of dephosphorization slag at different times under two adding modes is composed of FeO, 2CaO · SiO2, 2CaO · SiO2–3CaO · P2O5, Ca3Mg(SiO4)2, and Ca3Fe2O5. But, the content of each phase, especially FeO, 2CaO · SiO2, 2CaO · SiO2–3CaO · P2O5, varies greatly, and the dephosphorization behaviors are significantly different. In the case of initial lump‐sum addition of iron oxide (Pattern A), the dephosphorization is mainly completed in the first 5 min. On the other hand, the dephosphorization is mainly completed from 5 to 10 min in the case of divided addition of iron oxide (Pattern B). The reason for this is the interfacial oxygen potential under the Pattern A is as high as about 1.64 × 10−11 atm, which is about two times higher than that of the Pattern B. And the slag formation path is significantly different between the two adding modes.
Computational structure‐based drug design: Predicting target flexibility
Authors: Iglesias Jelisa , Saen‐oon Suwipa , Soliva Robert , Guallar Victor
Published: April 2018

The role of molecular modeling in drug design has experienced a significant revamp in the last decade. The increase in computational resources and molecular models, along with software developments, is finally introducing a competitive advantage in early phases of drug discovery. Medium and small companies with strong focus on computational chemistry are being created, some of them having introduced important leads in drug design pipelines. An important source for this success is the extraordinary development of faster and more efficient techniques for describing flexibility in three‐dimensional structural molecular modeling. At different levels, from docking techniques to atomistic molecular dynamics, conformational sampling between receptor and drug results in improved predictions, such as screening enrichment, discovery of transient cavities, etc. In this review article we perform an extensive analysis of these modeling techniques, dividing them into high and low throughput, and emphasizing in their application to drug design studies. We finalize the review with a section describing our Monte Carlo method, PELE, recently highlighted as an outstanding advance in an international blind competition and industrial benchmarks.

This article is categorized under:

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Biochemistry and Biophysics

Software > Molecular Modeling
Introduction
Authors: Willemsen Marc C.
Published: April 2018

Twenty years ago I worked on an advisory report on the effectiveness of various tobacco control policy measures, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Health as part of the process of presenting a revised tobacco act to the parliament (Willemsen, De Zwart, & Mooy, 1998). Soon after the report was finished I attended the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Beijing, where I spoke with a civil servant from the Dutch Ministry of Health. I asked him what would happen with the report and was shocked when he told me that many of the conclusions were “not politically feasible” and could not be taken up.
Dutch Tobacco Control Policy from the 1950s to the Present
Authors: Willemsen Marc C.
Published: April 2018

Tobacco control policy is a long step from the neat theoretical path of identifying a problem, selecting the most effective strategy to tackle it, and then just implementing it. This chapter describes the many steps that were taken by the Dutch government to shape tobacco control policy. The description covers more than half a century and stays close to the timeline of events. The reader will learn how the government chose to combat smoking from the early years when it first became clear that smoking is not an innocent pleasure. At first the government was hesitant to react, but in the 1970s it became more active, culminating in a Tobacco Memorandum with far-reaching policy proposals, many of which were killed or toned down over subsequent years. The fight over tobacco policy then concentrated on two major national pieces of legislation: the 1988 Tobacco Act and its 2002 revision. These were not definitive laws but “framework” laws—meaning that they offered the basis for more specific decisions to be taken by the Council of Ministers (so-called orders-in-council) or by a minister (Ministerial Regulations) at a later stage. This opened up long periods of bargaining between interest groups, politicians, and the government about interpretations during the implementation phase.
Pulsating strings with mixed three-form flux
Authors: Hernández Rafael , Nieto Juan Miguel , Ruiz Roberto
Published: April 2018

Abstract

Circular strings pulsating in AdS
3 × S
3 × T
4 with mixed R-R and NS-NS three-form fluxes can be described by an integrable deformation of the one-dimensional Neumann-Rosochatius mechanical model. In this article we find a general class of pulsating solutions to this integrable system that can be expressed in terms of elliptic functions. In the limit of strings moving in AdS
3 with pure NS-NS three-form flux, where the action reduces to the SL(2, ℝ) WZW model, we find agreement with the analysis of the classical solutions of the system performed using spectral flow by Maldacena and Ooguri. We use our elliptic solutions in AdS
3 to extend the dispersion relation beyond the limit of pure NS-NS flux.
Ruijsenaars-Schneider three-body models with N = 2 supersymmetry
Authors: Galajinsky Anton
Published: April 2018

Abstract

The Ruijsenaars-Schneider models are conventionally regarded as relativistic generalizations of the Calogero integrable systems. Surprisingly enough, their supersymmetric generalizations escaped attention. In this work, N = 2 supersymmetric extensions of the rational and hyperbolic Ruijsenaars-Schneider three-body models are constructed within the framework of the Hamiltonian formalism. It is also known that the rational model can be described by the geodesic equations associated with a metric connection. We demonstrate that the hyperbolic systems are linked to non-metric connections.
Review of Issues About Classical Change Scores: A Multilevel Modeling Perspective on Some Enduring Beliefs
Authors: Gu Zhengguo , Emons Wilco H. M. , Sijtsma Klaas
Published: April 2018

Change scores obtained in pretest–posttest designs are important for evaluating treatment effectiveness and for assessing change of individual test scores in psychological research. However, over the years the use of change scores has raised much controversy. In this article, from a multilevel perspective, we provide a structured treatise on several persistent negative beliefs about change scores and show that these beliefs originated from the confounding of the effects of within-person change on change-score reliability and between-person change differences. We argue that psychometric properties of change scores, such as reliability and measurement precision, should be treated at suitable levels within a multilevel framework. We show that, if examined at the suitable levels with such a framework, the negative beliefs about change scores can be renounced convincingly. Finally, we summarize the conclusions about change scores to dispel the myths and to promote the potential and practical usefulness of change scores.
YTH Domain: A Family of N
6-Methyladenosine (m6A) Readers
Authors: Liao Shanhui , Sun Hongbin , Xu Chao
Published: April 2018

Like protein and DNA, different types of RNA molecules undergo various modifications. Accumulating evidence suggests that these RNA modifications serve as sophisticated codes to mediate RNA behaviors and many important biological functions. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal RNA modification found in a variety of eukaryotic RNAs, including but not limited to mRNAs, tRNAs, rRNAs, and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). In mammalian cells, m6A can be incorporated by a methyltransferase complex and removed by demethylases, which ensures that the m6A modification is reversible and dynamic. Moreover, m6A is recognized by the YT521-B homology (YTH) domain-containing proteins, which subsequently direct different complexes to regulate RNA signaling pathways, such as RNA metabolism, RNA splicing, RNA folding, and protein translation. Herein, we summarize the recent progresses made in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the m6A recognition by YTH domain-containing proteins, which would shed new light on m6A-specific recognition and provide clues to the future identification of reader proteins of many other RNA modifications.
Effects of biofeedback in the treatment of female fecal incontinence
Authors: Santos Kertulem Larissa Aparecida Silverio dos , Cavenaghi Simone , Folchine Ana Elisa Rosselli , Carvalho Lais Helena , Martins Priscila , Ferreira Lucas Lima , Netinho João Gomes
Published: April 2018

Introduction Fecal incontinence is the involuntary loss of stools and gases, characterized by the inability to keep physiological control of bowel contents. It can negatively affect patients’ quality of life. Biofeedback is a therapeutic tool used in the treatment, through the training of the pelvic floor muscles from visual and sound stimuli.

Objective To evaluate the effects of biofeedback in the treatment of female fecal incontinence.

Methods Twenty-three patients with fecal incontinence, diagnosed by clinical evaluation and manometry, and referred for biofeedback treatment, participated responding to the Cleveland Clinic Incontinence Assessment scale, and the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire to obtain personal data, clinical complaints and incontinence characteristics. Four biofeedback sessions were held once a week. After the protocol, they were reevaluated with anorectal manometry and questionnaires, and they were instructed to daily perform the sphincteric contraction exercises at home.

Results The comparison of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Scoring System and FIQL scores before and after the biofeedback protocol showed a significant decrease (p = 0.0001) in fecal incontinence. The mean anal pressure at rest was 33.3 mmHg before and 49.65 mmHg after biofeedback, while the mean anal pressure of maximal voluntary contraction was 85 mmHg before treatment and 136.65 mmHg after it.

Conclusion Biofeedback is an effective method for the treatment of fecal incontinence, with increased sphincter strength and improved quality of life.
Risk factors for postoperative complications in Crohn disease: analysis of 173 patients
Authors: Melo-Pinto Diogo , Santos João Vasco , Barbosa Elisabete
Published: April 2018

Background and objectives Surgery for Crohn disease has a wide range of factors that are being studied as possible risk factors for postoperative complications. The later are a major problem in those patients and are associated with longer hospital stays and increased mortality and morbidity. Despite the debate regarding the influence of patients’ characteristics, preoperative and operative details, the risk factors are not fully identified. The debate has been focused on the new medical therapy and the time of surgery. Our goal was to help identify and confirm risk factors for postoperative complications.

Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study including all patients operated due to Crohn disease in São João Hospital Center from 2010 to 2015. We analyzed patient, preoperative and surgical characteristics. For postoperative complications data only those occurring within 30 days were included.

Results Neither age at diagnosis or previous corticotherapy/anti-TNF/ustekinumab was significantly associated with an increased risk in postoperative complications. Only age at surgery >40 years (Montreal Classification A1 + A2 vs. A3; OR = 4.12; p < 0.05) and the group others (occlusion vs. others [combination of intestinal perforation, mesenteric ischemia and postoperative complications] vs. fistula/abscess as indication for surgery; OR = 4.12; p < 0.05) remained as independent risk factors after multivariable regression analysis.

Conclusions We described clear associations between age at surgery >40 years and the group others (intestinal perforation, mesenteric ischemia and postoperative complications) and overall postoperative complications in Crohn disease. These results may suggest that surgery does not need to be delayed and, in some cases, should be anticipated.
Three-Piece Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Placement Following Pelvic Radiation: Technical Considerations and Contemporary Outcomes
Authors: Loh-Doyle Jeffrey , Patil Mukul B. , Nakhoda Zein , Nassiri Nima , Yip Wesley , Wayne Kevin , Doumanian Leo , Boyd Stuart D.
Published: May 2018

Background

Pelvic radiation is a known risk factor for the development and progression of erectile dysfunction. When medical therapy fails, the 3-piece inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) can offer patients a definitive treatment option. Because of radiation-induced vascular changes and tissue fibrosis, a careful surgical approach is necessary to avoid intraoperative complications and attain successful outcomes. Despite its widespread use in prostate cancer treatment, there are no contemporary studies examining the effects that pelvic radiation can have on 3-piece IPP placement and device survival.

Aim

To present technical considerations and contemporary outcomes of placing a 3-piece IPP for refractory erectile dysfunction in patients with a history of pelvic radiation.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 78 patients who underwent placement of a 3-piece IPP (AMS 700; Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA, USA) after being treated with pelvic radiotherapy from 2003 through 2016. All patients had been treated with external beam and/or brachytherapy for treatment of prostate malignancy. An infrapubic approach was used in all patients, with reservoir placement in the space of Retzius or in the lateral retroperitoneal space. Patient demographics, perioperative data, and postoperative outcomes including prosthetic infection and mechanical failure were examined and statistical analysis was performed.

Outcomes

Rates of device infection, revision surgery, and reservoir complications.

Results

No intraoperative complications were observed. After a mean follow-up of 49.0 months (6.6–116.8), 2 patients developed an infection of their prosthesis that required explantation. These patients underwent successful IPP removal and immediate reimplantation. 11 patients (14.1%) required revision surgery (pump replacement, n = 4; pump relocation, n = 2; cylinder replacement, n = 4; reservoir replacement owing to leak, n = 1). No reservoir-related complications such as herniation or erosion into adjacent structures were observed.

Clinical Implications

The 3-piece IPP can be placed safely in a broad range of patients treated with pelvic radiotherapy.

Strengths and Limitations

This study describes contemporary long-term outcomes of the IPP in patients treated with pelvic radiation and includes patients with prior pelvic surgery and artificial urinary sphincter, which are commonly encountered in practice. It is limited by its single-center experience and lacks a comparison group of patients. Objective patient satisfaction data were not available for inclusion.

Conclusions

The 3-piece IPP can be placed successfully in patients with a history of pelvic radiation without a significant increase in infectious complications, reservoir erosion, or mechanical failure compared with the global literature.
The Fictions and Realities of MFN Clauses in International Investment Agreements
Authors: Pérez-Aznar Facundo
Published: April 2018

In an article published concurrently in the Journal of International Economic Law, I reach many of the same conclusions as
Simon Batifort and J. Benton Heath regarding the use of most favored nation (MFN) clauses to import substantive provisions from other treaties. However, although our conclusions are similar, our reasoning differs in several important respects. In my view, the reasons why MFN clauses cannot be used to import treaty provisions have more to do with the nature of these clauses than their specific text. MFN clauses are primary rules that require performing a comparison and determining whether there is a breach of the provision, and this produces legal effects that run against any attempt at importation. In addition, it is not possible or desirable to interpret MFN clauses in isolation from general international law.
Stephan Schill is also correct that Batifort and Heath cannot disclaim the normative implications of their effort to shift the debate over MFN clauses. But Schill confuses the legal effects of MFN clauses with a policy consideration (multilateralization) and misreads the interpretative background that must be considered when applying MFN clauses. Schill also mistakes multilateralization via arbitral interpretations of MFN clauses for true multilateralism, which is the product of states working together in multilateral fora. That distinction matters, too, for Schill's solution might provoke a state-led backlash that will undermine the very multilateralism he seeks to promote.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in people with Intellectual Disability
Authors: Perera Bhathika
Published: May 2018

Two case reports of people with severe intellectual disability (ID), Autism and challenging behaviour are discussed here to describe the presentation of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in people with ID. Both cases highlight how the diagnosis of ADHD can be missed and the behaviours attributed to ID and autism, which could lead to using ineffective treatment strategies. The case reports illustrate the importance of the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in people with ID and how it can make a difference to their clinical presentation and quality of life.
Love, convenience, or respectability? Understanding the alliances of the Five Star Movement in the European Parliament
Authors: Bressanelli Edoardo , de Candia Margherita
Published: April 2018

The Five Star Movement (M5S) formed the Eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group when it first elected its members in the European Parliament (EP) in 2014. Two and a half years later, the M5S sought, without success, to leave the Eurosceptics and join the Liberal group. This attempted a change of transnational affiliation is puzzling: why has the M5S tried to leave the Eurosceptic group to ally with the most Europhile group in the EP? How could this U-turn be explained? Relying on several different data – the EUANDI party data set, official EP data, and original interviews with members of the EP – this article provides a systematic answer to these questions. We test three general hypotheses on group membership in the EP, using the M5S as a case study. We show that neither policy congruence nor the pursuit of office fully explains the M5S’s observed or attempted alliances. We suggest, instead, that ‘domestic politics’ is the key driver of the M5S’s behaviour in the EP. Political group membership is functional to the Movement’s strategic objectives at home. This article shows that national-level explanations of transnational affiliation need to be given more consideration, and highlights the ‘second-order’ importance of the EU arena with respect to ‘first-order’ national strategic objectives.
Wave radiation and diffraction by a circular cylinder submerged below an ice sheet with a crack
Authors: Li Zhi Fu , Wu Guo Xiong , Ji Chun Yan
Published: April 2018

Wave radiation and diffraction by a circular cylinder submerged below an ice sheet with a crack are considered based on the linearized velocity potential theory together with multipole expansion. The solution starts from the potential due to a single source, or the Green function satisfying both the ice sheet condition and the crack condition, as well as all other conditions apart from that on the body surface. This is obtained in an integral form through Fourier transform, in contrast to what has been obtained previously in which the Green function is in the series form based on the method of matched eigenfunction expansion in each domain on both sides of the crack. The multipole expansion is then constructed through direct differentiation of the Green function with respect to the source position, rather than treating each multipole as a separate problem. The use of the Green function enables the problem of wave diffraction by the crack in the absence of the body to be solved directly. For the circular cylinder, wave radiation and diffraction problems are solved by applying the body surface boundary condition to the multipole expansion, through which the unknown coefficients are obtained. Extensive results are provided for the added mass and damping coefficient as well as the exciting force. When the cylinder is away from the crack, a wide spacing approximation method is used, which is found to provide accurate results apart from when the cylinder is quite close to the crack.
Canadian Preservice Teacher Views of Inclusive Physical Education
Authors: Bradford Brent , Loreman Tim
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we explored various aspects of Canadian preservice elementary school teacher views about inclusive physical education. Based on prior work by Loreman (2014) that broadly examined preservice teacher views on inclusive education, in this study we looked specifically at inclusive physical education using a different sample of participants in the same program. Preservice teachers were asked a series of open-ended questions relating to their understandings, feelings of teaching self-efficacy, attitudes, and concerns relating to inclusive physical education in elementary school. Their responses reflected a strong focus on ability diversity (e.g., disability) and indicated that inclusive physical education means that all students should be part of the learning environment or that some should be excluded in roughly equal proportion. Depending on the curricular dimension, their self-perceived levels of preparedness ranged from low to high. The participants also presented a strong case for the necessity of resources available for the teaching of inclusive physical education.
VESPASIAN'S AQVAE DVCTVS IN OSTIA AND OSTIA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH ROME
Authors: Bruun Christer
Published: April 2018

In Ostia, Rome's harbour-town, several parts of an inscription which reveals that the Emperor Vespasian promoted the town's water supply were found in 1983. Eventually references to the text began to circulate, then one more fragment turned up and in 2006 the formal and official publication of the text took place, for which the scholarly world is grateful to Alfredo Marinucci.
Dynamics of body calcium and net calcium requirements for maintenance of Saanen goats
Authors: Dorigan C. J. , Vargas J. A. C. , Härter C. J. , Resende K. T. , Vitti D. M. S. S. , Abdalla A. L. , Teixeira I. A. M. A.
Published: April 2018

The objectives of the current study were to investigate the dynamics of body calcium (Ca) and to estimate the net Ca maintenance requirements (NCam) of Saanen goats, using45Ca as a radiotracer. Eighteen castrated male Saanen goats (25 ± 2.3 kg body weight (BW)) received a basal diet (ground ear maize, ground maize and vitamin–mineral premix). The treatments consisted of adding limestone to the basal diet to provide Ca content of 0.6, 1.7 and 3.0 g/kg dry matter (DM). The experiment lasted 45 days (i.e. 36 d of adaptation and 9 days of measurements). On day 38, 0.5 ml of 7.4 MBq45Ca solution was administrated before feeding. From days 39 to 45, samples of faeces, blood and urine were collected, and Ca concentration determined. The Ca intake, Ca in faeces, Ca in urine, faecal endogenous Ca and true absorbed Ca increased linearly as Ca content in the diets increased, while retained Ca increased at a decreasing rate. Dry matter intake decreased at an increasing rate with increased Ca content in the diets. In contrast, Ca content in the diets did not affect biological availability of Ca, or Ca in plasma. The true biological availability of Ca from limestone in Saanen goats was 0.72. The daily NCamwas 11.6 (±1.3) mg/kg BW. The current results might help to understand Ca dynamics in goats and enhance the formulation of balanced diets to best meet Ca requirements of Saanen goats.
Writing agrarian histories of the Roman world: seasonality and scale as tools of analysis
Authors: Grey Cam
Published: May 2018

Agrarian labor history of Greco-Roman antiquity—indeed, labor history of the period more broadly—does not look very much like the agrarian labor histories of other periods. Many explanations might be adduced for why this is so, including the very particular circumstances that led to the development of ancient history as a discipline separate from (yet intimately related to) the humanistic intellectual traditions of classical studies in the last decades of the nineteenth century. But arguably the most fundamental constraining factor is the nature of the available evidence. Simply put, the wealthy, leisured elites responsible for the overwhelming bulk of the written materials available to us from the ancient Mediterranean world were emphatically uninterested in the sector of the population whose labor underpinned and sustained their privileged position.
Age bias in survey sampling and implications for estimating HIV prevalence in men who have sex with men: insights from mathematical modelling
Authors: Johnson L. F. , Mulongeni P. , Marr A. , Lane T.
Published: April 2018

Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is widely used to estimate HIV prevalence in men who have sex with men (MSM). Mathematical models that are calibrated to these data may be compromised if they fail to account for selection biases in RDS surveys. To quantify the potential extent of this bias, an agent-based model of HIV in South Africa was calibrated to HIV prevalence and sexual behaviour data from South African studies of MSM, first reweighting the modelled MSM population to match the younger age profile of the RDS surveys (age-adjusted analysis) and then without reweighting (unadjusted analysis). The model estimated a median HIV prevalence in South African MSM in 2015 of 34.6% (inter-quartile range (IQR): 31.4–37.2%) in the age-adjusted analysis, compared with 26.1% (IQR: 24.1–28.4%) in the unadjusted analysis. The median lifetime risk of acquiring HIV in exclusively homosexual men was 88% (IQR: 82–92%) in the age-adjusted analysis, compared with 76% (IQR: 64–85%) in the unadjusted analysis. These results suggest that RDS studies may under-estimate the exceptionally high HIV prevalence rates in South African MSM because of over-sampling of younger MSM. Mathematical models that are calibrated to these data need to control for likely over-sampling of younger MSM.
BEYOND SAY’S LAW: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF J.-B. SAY’S MONETARY VIEWS
Authors: Béraud Alain , Numa Guy
Published: April 2018

Jean-Baptiste Say’s notion ofdébouchéshas not been correctly understood, due to the lack of proper context within the framework of his broader political economy. We revisit Say’s writings on this topic, retrace the concept’s evolution, and lay out a framework that better illustrates the essence of Say’s thinking. We argue that Say’s theories on money and economic crises are much richer and more sophisticated than the traditional interpretation of Say’s Law would suggest. Say himself acknowledged that his monetary theory contradicted his initial articulations of the law, a point often missed by contemporary observers. This essay paints a more complete picture of Say’s work, showing how monetary changes could, under his framework, affect real variables. In so doing, it cuts against the many simplistic interpretations that pervade the existing literature on the subject.
Nutrition and public health in medical education in the UK: reflections and next steps
Authors: Broad Jonathan , Wallace Megan
Published: April 2018

Objective

Doctors play an important role in the identification of nutritional disorders and as advocates for a healthy diet, and although the key tenets of good nutrition education for medical students have been discussed, reports on implementation are sparse. The present commentary responds to a gap in UK medical students’ understanding of nutrition and public health and suggests ways to improve it.

Design

We review literature about nutrition education in medical schools and discuss a 6-week elective in public health nutrition for medical students. We discuss suggested competencies in nutrition and compare means of students’ confidence and knowledge before and after.

Setting

A nutrition and public health elective in a UK medical school, discussing advocacy, motivational interviewing, supplements, nutritional deficits, parenteral nutrition, obesity services. We utilised multidisciplinary teaching approaches including dietitians, managers and pharmacists, and students implemented a public health activity in a local school.

Subjects

Fifteen final-year medical students were enrolled; sixty school pupils participated in the public health activity.

Results

The students were not confident in nutrition competencies before and were taught less than European counterparts. Students enjoyed the course, had improved knowledge, and felt more confident in interviewing and prescribing supplements. Feedback from the local school was positive.

Conclusions

Students in our UK medical school were not confident in their required competencies within the confines of the current educational programme. An elective course can improve medical students’ knowledge. Similar courses could be implemented in other medical schools to improve nutrition and public health knowledge and practice in future doctors.
Determinants of folic acid supplement use outside national recommendations for pregnant women: results from the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort study
Authors: Teixeira Juliana A , Castro Teresa G , Wall Clare R , Marchioni Dirce Maria , Berry Sarah , Morton Susan MB , Grant Cameron C
Published: April 2018

Objective

To evaluate the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with insufficient and excessive use of folic acid supplements (FAS) among pregnant women.

Design

A pregnancy cohort to which multinomial logistic regression models were applied to identify factors associated with duration and dose of FAS use.

Setting

The Growing Up in New Zealand child study, which enrolled pregnant women whose children were born in 2009–2010.

Subjects

Pregnant women (n 6822) enrolled into a nationally generalizable cohort.

Results

Ninety-two per cent of pregnant women were not taking FAS according to the national recommendation (4 weeks before until 12 weeks after conception), with 69 % taking insufficient FAS and 57 % extending FAS use past 13 weeks’ gestation. The factors associated with extended use differed from those associated with insufficient use. Consistent with published literature, the relative risks of insufficient use were increased for younger women, those with less education, of non-European ethnicities, unemployed, who smoked cigarettes, whose pregnancy was unplanned or who had older children, or were living in more deprived households. In contrast, the relative risks of extended use were increased for women of higher socio-economic status or for whom this was their first pregnancy and decreased for women of Pacific v. European ethnicity.

Conclusions

In New Zealand, current use of FAS during pregnancy potentially exposes pregnant women and their unborn children to too little or too much folic acid. Further policy development is necessary to reduce current socio-economic inequities in the use of FAS.
Förderung wissenschaftlichen Denkens im Lehramtsstudium: Lernen aus eigenen und fremden Fehlern in multiplen und uniformen Kontexten
Authors: Wagner Kai , Bergner Maria , Krause Ulrike-Marie , Stark Robin
Published: April 2018

Zusammenfassung. Kompetenzen im Bereich wissenschaftlichen Denkens sind ein wichtiges Lernziel im Lehramtsstudium. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht, wie diese systematisch gefördert werden können. Im Rahmen einer experimentellen Interventionsstudie wurde eine integrierte Lerneinheit konzipiert, die problem- und instruktionsorientiertes Lernen systematisch kombiniert. Ausgearbeitete Lösungsbeispiele wurden in ein narratives Format eingebettet. Im Zentrum stehen authentische schulische Problemstellungen, anhand derer wissenschaftliches Erklären eingeübt wird. Instruktionale Basistheorie ist das Lernen aus Fehlern. In einem 2 × 2-faktoriellen experimentellen Design wurden die Art der Fehler (eigene vs. fremde / beispielhaft präsentierte Fehler) und der inhaltliche Kontext (multiple vs. uniforme Kontexte) variiert. 179 Studierenden wurden vier Experimentalbedingungen zufällig zugewiesen. Die Lerneinheit wurde schriftlich im Rahmen bildungswissenschaftlicher Seminare an vier Seminarterminen bearbeitet. Erhoben wurden Analyse- und Generierungswissen bezüglich wissenschaftlicher Erklärungen sowie konzeptuelles Erklärungswissen. Hinsichtlich der Förderung konzeptuellen Erklärungswissens sowie des Analysewissens waren fremde Fehler lernwirksamer. Bezüglich des Generierungswissens war die Auseinandersetzung mit eigenen Fehlern effektiver. Generell waren uniforme Kontexte lernwirksamer als multiple Kontexte.