bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extended mortality results for prostate cancer screening in the PLCO trial with median follow‐up of 15 years
Authors: Pinsky Paul F. , Prorok Philip C. , Yu Kelly , Kramer Barnett S. , Black Amanda , Gohagan John K. , Crawford E. David , Grubb Robert L. , Andriole Gerald L.
Published: December 2016

BACKGROUND

Two large‐scale prostate cancer screening trials using prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) have given conflicting results in terms of the efficacy of such screening. One of those trials, the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, previously reported outcomes with 13 years of follow‐up. This study presents updated findings from the PLCO trial.

METHODS

The PLCO trial randomized subjects from 1993 to 2001 to an intervention or control arm. Intervention‐arm men received annual PSA tests for 6 years and digital rectal examinations for 4 years. This study used a linkage with the National Death Index to extend mortality follow‐up to a maximum of 19 years after randomization.

RESULTS

Men were randomized to the intervention arm (n = 38,340) or the control arm (n = 38,343). The median follow‐up time was 14.8 years (25th/75th, 12.7/16.5 years) in the intervention arm and 14.7 years (25th/75th, 12.6/16.4 years) in the control arm. There were 255 deaths from prostate cancer in the intervention arm and 244 deaths from prostate cancer in the control arm; this meant a rate ratio (RR) of 1.04 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87‐1.24). The RR for all‐cause mortality was 0.977 (95% CI, 0.950‐1.004). It was estimated that 86% of the men in the control arm and 99% of the men in the intervention arm received any PSA testing during the trial, and the estimated yearly screening‐phase PSA testing rates were 46% and 84%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Extended follow‐up of the PLCO trial over a median of 15 years continues to indicate no reduction in prostate cancer mortality for the intervention arm versus the control arm. Because of the high rate of control‐arm PSA testing, this finding can be viewed as showing no benefit of organized screening versus opportunistic screening. Cancer 2017;123:592–599. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Trade‐off between early emergence and herbivore susceptibility mediates exotic success in an experimental California plant community
Authors: Waterton Joseph , Cleland Elsa E.
Published: December 2016

Ecological trade‐offs are fundamental to theory in community ecology; critical for understanding species coexistence in diverse plant communities, as well as the evolution of diverse life‐history strategies. Invasions by exotic species can provide insights into the importance of trade‐offs in community assembly, because the ecological strategies of invading species often differ from those present in the native species pool. Exotic annual species have invaded many Mediterranean‐climate areas around the globe, and often germinate and emerge earlier in the growing season than native species. Early‐season growth can enable exotic annual species to preempt space and resources, competitively suppressing later‐emerging native species; however, early‐emerging individuals may also be more apparent to herbivores. This suggests a potential trade‐off between seasonal phenology and susceptibility to herbivory. To evaluate this hypothesis, we monitored the emergence and growth of 12 focal species (six each native and exotic) in monoculture and polyculture, while experimentally excluding generalist herbivores both early and later in the growing season. Consistent with past studies, the exotic species emerged earlier than native species. Regardless of species origin, earlier‐emerging species achieved greater biomass by the end of the experiment, but were more negatively impacted by herbivory, particularly in the early part of the growing season. This greater impact of early‐season herbivory on early‐active species led to a reduction in the competitive advantage of exotic species growing in polyculture, and improved the performance of later‐emerging natives. Such a trade‐off between early growth and susceptibility to herbivores could be an important force in community assembly in seasonal herbaceous‐dominated ecosystems. These results also show how herbivore exclusion favors early‐active exotic species in this system, with important implications for management in many areas invaded by early‐active exotic species.
The impact of intensive grandchild care on depressive symptoms among older Koreans
Authors: Kim Juyeong , Park Eun‐Cheol , Choi Young , Lee Hyojeong , Lee Sang Gyu
Published: December 2016

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of intensive grandchild care on depressive symptoms among grandparents.

Methods

We used data from 2008 to 2012 of the Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging. Using the data from 2008 at baseline, data included 5129 individuals aged 50 years and more without depression with at least one grandchild. A generalized estimating equation was used to investigate the impact of intensive grandchild care on depressive symptoms. Investigated factors included the intensity of grandchild care, measured by hours spent caring for a grandchild per week: (i) none (0 h); (ii) non‐intensive grandchild care (1–39 h); and intensive grandchild care (≥40 h). Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10‐item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale.

Results

Among 5128 participants from 2008 to 2012, 3.0% were providing non‐intensive grandchildren care, and 1.9% were providing intensive grandchild care. Compared with grandparents providing no grandchild care, those who provided intensive grandchild care experienced reduced depressive symptoms (β = −0.51 [p = 0.007] vs. no childcare). Men (β = −1.22 [p = 0.012] vs. no childcare) providing intensive grandchild care experienced a greater reduction in depressive symptoms compared with women (β = −0.44 [p = 0.029] vs. no childcare) providing grandchild care. Grandparents who were receiving financial support from adult children were more likely to experience reduced depressive symptoms than those not receiving such support.

Conclusion

The results of this study reveal that intensive grandchild care is associated with lower depressive symptoms among older adults, particularly men. The findings emphasize the importance of encouraging older adults to participate in grandchild care, regardless of gender. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correlative study of dose to thyroid and incidence of subsequent dysfunction after head and neck radiation
Authors: Ling Stella , Bhatt Aashish D. , Brown Nicole V. , Nguyen Phuong , Sipos Jennifer A. , Chakravarti Arnab , Rong Yi
Published: December 2016

Background

Thyroid dysfunction is common after radiotherapy (RT) for patients with head and neck cancers. We attempted to discover RT dose parameters that correspond with RT‐induced thyroid dysfunction.

Methods

Records of 102 patients who received RT from 2008 to 2010 were reviewed with respect to thyroid function. Abnormalities were grouped in 2 ways: (1) none, transient, or permanent; and (2) overt or subclinical.

Results

At median follow‐up of 33.5 months, incidence of any thyroid abnormality was 39.2% (women vs men – 50% vs 35%). Permanent dysfunction was seen in 24.5% with higher incidence in women versus men (42.9% vs 17.6%; p = .0081). Permanent abnormalities most strongly correlated with D50% (p = .0275). V50Gy also correlated with thyroid dysfunction post‐RT (p = .0316). Concurrent chemotherapy increased permanent dysfunction (p = .0008).

Conclusion

Achieving D50% <50 Gy, V50 <50%, and mean dose <54.58 Gy during RT planning may decrease the incidence; whereas female sex and concurrent chemotherapy seem to increase the risk of RT‐induced hypothyroidism. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 548–554, 2017
The Robust Relationship Between US Food Aid and Civil Conflict
Authors: Chu Chi‐Yang , Henderson Daniel J. , Wang Le
Published: December 2016

Humanitarian aid has long been considered an important means to reduce hunger and suffering in developing countries. A recent finding by Nunn and Qian (US food aid and civil conflict, American Economic Review 2014; 104: 1630–1666) that such aid from the US increases the incidence and duration of civil conflict in recipient countries, however, questions the effectiveness of this policy and poses a serious policy concern for the US government. We revisit this issue by conducting a successful replication study of the results in their paper. In order to further scrutinize their claims that a heterogeneous effect of food aid on conflict is not present, we employ a semiparametric endogenous estimation procedure. We show that their parametric models cannot be rejected and argue that their findings are robust. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bone Health in Patients With Hematopoietic Disorders of Bone Marrow Origin: Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis
Authors: Steer Kieran , Stavnichuk Mariya , Morris Martin , Komarova Svetlana V
Published: December 2016

Blood cell production and bone homeostasis are physically interlinked systems that exhibit active cross-talk. We examined how bone health is affected in patients with hematopoietic disorders due to abnormal proliferation of bone marrow cells. The electronic databases Medline, Embase, PubMed, BIOSIS Previews, Web of Science, and Cochrane were searched for studies presenting numerical values for trabecular bone volume or bone mineral density in control and patients with hematopoietic disorders. We identified 5 studies for beta-thalassemia, 6 for sickle cell anemia, 2 for polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia, 3 for chronic myelogenous leukemia, 6 for myelofibrosis, 5 for multiple myeloma, and 4 studies each for systemic mastocytosis, lymphocytic leukemia, and hemochromatosis. The effect of the disease state on bone density was significant and negative for beta-thalassemia (r = –2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] –3.41, –0.58; p < 0.005), sickle cell anemia (–0.91; –1.36, –0.47; p < 0.00005), chronic myelogenous leukemia (–0.55; –0.88, –0.22; p < 0005), mastocytosis (–0.99; –1.16, –0.82; p < 0.00001), lymphoblastic leukemia (–0.69; –0.98, –0.40; p < 0.00001), multiple myeloma (–0.67; –0.99, –0.35; p < 0.00005), and hemochromatosis (–1.15; –1.64, –0.66; p < 0.00001). The changes were negative but not significant for polycythemia vera (–0.16; –0.38, 0.05; p = 0.069) and essential thrombocythemia (–0.33; –0.92, 0.26; p = 0.14). In myelofibrosis, disease state was associated with increased bone density (0.74; 0.12, 1.36; p < 0.05). Bone density change significantly and negatively correlated with the level of ferritin and bone marrow cellularity but not with hemoglobin or erythropoietin. Thus, independent of hematopoietic lineage, abnormal proliferation of bone marrow cells appears to be associated with bone loss. Iron metabolism may independently contribute to bone homeostasis. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Posttraumatic Rumination: Content, Correlates, and Processes
Authors: Valdez Christine E. , Lilly Michelle M.
Published: December 2016

Objective

Trauma‐related rumination (i.e., repetitive and recurrent thinking about trauma and its consequences) has shown to predict the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, though little is known about its characteristics. The purpose of this study was to examine trauma‐related ruminative content, correlates, and processes during a trauma‐specific repetitive thinking interview.

Method

A total of 63 female survivors of violence completed questionnaires assessing trauma‐related pathology and participated in a trauma‐specific repetitive thinking interview, which was qualitatively coded.

Results

Most participants expressed problematic (i.e., assimilated and overaccommodated) trauma beliefs during the interview, which were associated with baseline posttraumatic sequelae. Reexperiencing symptoms mediated the relation between a brooding response style and expressed problematic trauma beliefs. State negative emotions were associated with ruminative processes during the interview and predicted negative emotions after the interview.

Conclusion

Maladaptive trauma‐related rumination is characterized by perseveration on problematic trauma beliefs. Implications for treatment are discussed.
Analysis of rainfall variability in the Logone catchment, Lake Chad basin
Authors: Nkiaka E. , Nawaz N. R. , Lovett J. C.
Published: December 2016

The socio‐economic consequences posed by climate change in Africa are giving increasing emphasis to the need for trend analysis and detection of changes in hydro‐climatic variables in data deficient areas. This study analyses rainfall data from 17 rain gauges unevenly distributed across the Logone catchment in the Lake Chad basin over a 50‐year period (1951–2000). After quality control of the rainfall data using homogeneity tests, nonparametric Mann–Kendall and Spearman's rho tests were applied to detect the presence of trends. Trend magnitude was calculated using Sen's slope estimator. Results of the homogeneity test showed that rainfall was homogeneous across the catchment. Trend analysis revealed the presence of negative trends for annual rainfall at all the stations. Results of long‐term trend analysis at a monthly time scale revealed the presence of statistically insignificant positive trends at 32% of the stations. Spatially, the analysis showed a clear distinction in rainfall magnitude between the semi‐arid and Sudano zones. The slope of the trend lines for annual rainfall averaged over the respective zones was higher in the semi‐arid zone (−4.37) compared to the Sudano zone (−4.02). However, the station with the greatest reduction in annual rainfall (−8.06 mm) was located in the Sudano zone.
Interdecadal variation of tropical cyclone genesis and its relationship to the monsoon trough over the western North Pacific
Authors: Huangfu Jingliang , Huang Ronghui , Chen Wen , Feng Tao , Wu Liang
Published: December 2016

Using the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Interim Reanalysis data set and the tropical cyclone (TC) best track data obtained from the International Best Tracks Archive for Climate Stewardship project from June to November for the epoch of 1979–2013, this study reexamines the recent interdecadal shift in TC genesis over the western North Pacific (WNP) in the late 1990s. An interdecadal decrease in the frequency of the WNP TC genesis was observed during 1998–2013 compared to the period of 1979–1997. The spatial distribution of the interdecadal decrease of the WNP TC genesis running northwest‐southeast, consistent with the monsoon trough (MT) zone. The results imply that the WNP genesis may be closely related to the MT on the interdecadal timescale. After the late 1990s, the intensity of the WNP MT becomes weaker and it extends more westward, thereby providing an unfavourable condition for the TC genesis. Through a diagnosis of the energetics, we suggested that the barotropic energy conversion in the eastern part of the WNP MT tends to be weakened in the late 1990s, hence less energy to support the WNP TC genesis. Both the meridional shear and the convergence of the mean zonal winds over the eastern WNP MT have an important impact on the conversion from mean kinetic energy to eddy kinetic energy, which can be considered as the atmospheric cause of the interdecadal decrease of TC genesis.
Interaction of cold fronts with the Brazilian Plateau: a climatological analysis
Authors: Foss Marilei , Chou Sin Chan , Seluchi Marcelo Enrique
Published: December 2016

Complex orography of elevated terrain and numerous peaks can act as an important physical barrier to the atmospheric flow and can generate a range of meteorological phenomena. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the Brazilian Plateau on the spatial distribution of cold fronts and their climatology for the period between 1979 and 2010 using Climate Forecast System Reanalysis data. The cold fronts are detected and divided into three groups, according to their frequency and trajectory over South America: the continental fronts are referred to as the AN group; the fronts that pass over the coastal region of São Paulo are referred to as the SP group; and the fronts that pass over the two areas are referred to as the ANSP group. Composites of means and anomalies of atmospheric variables are constructed for each group. The investigation focuses on the orographic effects of the Brazilian Plateau on the climatology of the cold fronts. The Brazilian Plateau affects the spatial distribution of maximum and minimum frontal frequency. The number of cold fronts over the elevated regions of the Brazilian Plateau is significantly lower than in the surrounding regions. The maximum frontal frequency is found to the east of the Andes and a secondary maximum is found along the Southeast coast of Brazil. The main effect of the Brazilian Plateau on the mean and anomaly fields of meteorological variables is to block the dry and cool post‐frontal air at lower atmospheric levels. The most significant anomalies are found in the ANSP group of cold fronts, which are more intense and move more rapidly eastward. On the other hand, the AN cold front group is the most frequent, but the weakest and easily affected by the Brazilian Plateau orography.
Predictors of outcome with cetuximab and paclitaxel for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Pellini Ferreira Bruna , Redman Mary , Baker Kelsey K. , Martins Renato , Eaton Keith D. , Chow Laura Quan Man , Baik Christina S. , Goulart Bernardo , Lee Sylvia Mina , Santana‐Davila Rafael , Rodriguez Cristina P.
Published: December 2016

Objectives

Identify predictors of outcome in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (RMHNSCC) treated with weekly cetuximab and paclitaxel (CP).

Study Design

Retrospective analysis.

Methods

Patients with RMHNSCC treated with CP were identified and patient data was recorded. The Kaplan‐Meier method was used to estimate outcomes, and Cox regression analysis was used to examine outcome predictors.

Results

Fifty‐nine patients initiated CP between January 2007 and June 2014. Median age was 56 (range: 39–80) years. The most common primary sites were the oropharynx in 22 (37%) patients, oral cavity in 19 (32%), and larynx in 11 (19%). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) was 0 in seven (12%), 1 in 32 (54%), and 2 in 16 (28%) patients. In 44 (75%) patients, CP was used as a first‐line R/M regimen. Median number of cycles was five (range: 1–29). Dose modifications were necessary in 27 (46%) patients. The objective response rate was 47.5%, with 27 (45.8%) partial responses and one (2%) complete response. With a median follow‐up of 13.4 months, median progression‐free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 7.7 and 13.2 months, respectively. On multivariable analysis, an ECOG of 2 of 3 was associated with inferior OS (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.94; P = 0.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–14.04) and PFS (HR: 7.29; P < 0.01; 95% CI: 2.1–26.0) compared to an ECOG 0 of 1. First‐line CP administration was associated with superior PFS compared to second line (HR: 2.6; P = 0.02; 95% CI:1.2–5.5).

Conclusions

CP is well tolerated in this population of patients, with favorable tumor efficacy. First‐line use and an ECOG 0 of 1 points appears to confer superior outcomes.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 127:1583–1588, 2017
The symptom matrix: Using a formalism‐based approach to address complex syndromes systematically
Authors: Skillen Jennifer D.
Published: December 2016

Complex rheumatological syndromes such as Systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's Syndrome and many connective tissue disorders can be a challenge to classify and diagnose, due to their wide‐ranging signs and symptoms, not all of which will necessarily be present in all patients. This can result in difficulties for the clinician, patient and researcher if signs and symptoms are either overlooked or are incorrectly included in the nosology or classification of diseases.

This article presents a formalism‐based approach to describing syndromes. This approach offers a more systematic way of representing signs and symptoms, to aid in diagnosis and classification of complex, heterogeneous and little understood syndromes.

To illustrate this approach, Ehlers‐Danlos Syndrome – Hypermobility Type is used as a worked example. This approach can also be applied to other syndromes in both clinical and educational settings, to assist with research, diagnosis, choice of treatment or intervention and nosology revision.
Induced sputum to detect lung pathogens in young children with cystic fibrosis
Authors: D'Sylva Pamela , Caudri Daan , Shaw Nicole , Turkovic Lidija , Douglas Tonia , Bew Jane , Keil Anthony D. , Stick Stephen , Schultz André
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Induced sputum sampling holds promise as a method for obtaining samples representative of the lower airways in young children. Collection of induced sputum samples in young children differs from older children and adults’ as pharyngeal suctioning is often required. Our aim was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of induced sputum with and without airway clearance techniques to detect lower airway pathogens in children less than age 7 with cystic fibrosis.

Methods

Microbiological culture results were compared between 61 paired induced sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples from young children with cystic fibrosis. The first cohort received no airway clearance and the second cohort received airway clearance. Induced sputum was sampled within 7 days of bronchoscopy.

Results

Median age (range) of participants was 3.3 years (0.9–6.7). Sensitivity and specificity (95%CI) of induced sputum was 36.8% (16.3, 61.6), and 69% (52.9, 82.4), respectively (N = 61). In subgroup analysis, induced sputum with (N = 31) and without airway clearance (N = 30) demonstrated sensitivity of 50% (15.7, 84.3) and 27.3% (6.0, 61.0), respectively, and specificity of 60.9% (38.5, 80.3), and 78.9% (54.4, 93.9), respectively.

Conclusion

Induced sputum is not highly sensitive or specific as routine surveillance for detection of lower airway pathogens in young children with cystic fibrosis. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:182–189. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Q‐learning for continuous‐time graphical games on large networks with completely unknown linear system dynamics
Authors: Vamvoudakis Kyriakos G.
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we consider the problem of leader synchronization in systems with interacting agents in large networks while simultaneously satisfying energy‐related user‐defined distributed optimization criteria. But modeling in large networks is very difficult, and for that reason, we derive a model‐free formulation that is based on a separate distributed Q‐learning function for every agent. Every Q‐function is a parametrization of each agent's control, of the neighborhood controls, and of the neighborhood tracking error. It is also evident that none of the agents has any information on where the leader is connected to and from where she spreads the desired information. The proposed algorithm uses an integral reinforcement learning approach with a separate distributed actor/critic network for each agent: a critic approximator to approximate each value function and an actor approximator to approximate each optimal control law. The derived tuning laws for each actor and critic approximators are designed appropriately by using gradient descent laws. We provide rigorous stability and convergence proofs to show that the closed‐loop system has an asymptotically stable equilibrium point and that the control policies form a graphical Nash equilibrium. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method on a network consisting of 10 agents. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Can newborn infants imitate?
Authors: Jones Susan
Published: December 2016

For several decades, scientists have held that newborn human infants can imitate adult behaviors like mouth opening, tongue protruding, and finger movements. This has been difficult to explain. In particular, it is not clear how newborn infants could know enough about their own bodies and movements, and how these map onto the bodies and movements of others, to be able to match their own felt movements to the seen movements of others. Prominent theories posit the existence ofinborn mechanismsthat automatically link visual input from the movements of others to the infant's already existing motor programs to produce the same movements. Such mechanisms would be instances of the inheritance of specific knowledge. In this review, we explain how current data argue against the existence of an inborn mechanism for linking seen actions with programs for performing those actions. We then sketch an alternative, multicausal explanation for the gradual development of imitation across infancy and beyond.WIREs Cogn Sci2017, 8:e1410. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1410

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Development and Aging
Developmental evolution
Authors: Lickliter Robert
Published: December 2016

Biologists and psychologists are re‐thinking the long‐standing premise of genes as the primary cause of development, a view widely embraced in 20th‐century biology. This shift in thinking is based in large part on: (1) the growing appreciation of the complex, distributed regulatory dynamics of gene expression; and (2) the growing appreciation of the probabilistic, contingent, and situated nature of development. We now appreciate that what actually unfolds during individual development represents only one of many possibilities. This expanded focus on the developmental process, often referred to as a developmental systems approach, has far‐reaching implications for developmental and evolutionary theory, including new ways of thinking about the consequences of activity and experience, the emergence of novel properties or traits, the nature and extent of heredity, and the origins of phenotypic variability. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, 8:e1422. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1422

This article is categorized under:

Cognitive Biology > Genes and Environment

Neuroscience > Development

Neuroscience > Plasticity
The development of motor behavior
Authors: Adolph Karen E. , Franchak John M.
Published: December 2016

This article reviews research on the development of motor behavior from a developmental systems perspective. We focus on infancy when basic action systems are acquired. Posture provides a stable base for locomotion, manual actions, and facial actions. Experience facilitates improvements in motor behavior and infants accumulate immense amounts of experience with all of their basic action systems. At every point in development, perception guides motor behavior by providing feedback about the results of just prior movements and information about what to do next. Reciprocally, the development of motor behavior provides fodder for perception. More generally, motor development brings about new opportunities for acquiring knowledge about the world, and burgeoning motor skills can instigate cascades of developmental changes in perceptual, cognitive, and social domains.WIREs Cogn Sci2017, 8:e1430. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1430

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Development and Aging

Psychology > Motor Skill and Performance
Diagnosis and Treatment of Testosterone Deficiency: Recommendations from the Fourth International Consultation for Sexual Medicine (ICSM 2015)
Authors: Khera Mohit , Adaikan Ganesh , Buvat Jacques , Carrier Serge , El-Meliegy Amr , Hatzimouratidis Kostas , McCullough Andrew , Morgentaler Abraham , Torres Luiz Otavio , Salonia Andrea
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Testosterone deficiency (TD), also known as hypogonadism, is a condition affecting a substantial proportion of men as they age. The diagnosis and management of TD can be challenging and clinicians should be aware of the current literature on this condition.

Aim

To review the available literature concerning the diagnosis and management of TD and to provide clinically relevant recommendations from the Fourth International Consultation for Sexual Medicine (ICSM) meeting.

Methods

A literature search was performed using the PubMed database for English-language original and review articles published or e-published up to January 2016.

Main Outcome Measures

Levels of evidence (LoEs) and grades of recommendations are provided based on a thorough analysis of the literature and committee consensus.

Results

Recommendations were given for 12 categories of TD: definition, clinical diagnosis, routine measurement, screening questionnaires, laboratory diagnosis, threshold levels for the biochemical diagnosis of TD, prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease, fertility, testosterone (T) formulations, alternatives to T therapy, and adverse events and monitoring. A total of 42 recommendations were made: of these, 16 were unchanged from the Third ICSM and 26 new recommendations were made during this Fourth ICSM. Most of these recommendations were supported by LoEs 2 and 3. Several key new recommendations include the following: (i) the clinical manifestations of TD occur as a result of decreased serum androgen concentrations or activity, regardless of whether there is an identified underlying etiology [LoE = 1, Grade = A]; (ii) symptomatic men with total T levels lower than 12 nmol/L or 350 ng/dL should be treated with T therapy [LoE = 1, Grade = C]; (iii) a trial of T therapy in symptomatic men with total T levels higher than 12 nmol/L or 350 ng/dL can be considered based on clinical presentation [LoE = 3, Grade = C]; (iv) there is no compelling evidence that T treatment increases the risk of developing prostate cancer or that its use is associated with prostate cancer progression [LoE = 1, Grade = C]; and (v) the weight of evidence indicates that T therapy is not associated with increased cardiovascular risk [LoE = 2, Grade = B].

Conclusion

TD is an important condition that can profoundly affect the sexual health of men. We provide guidance regarding its diagnosis and management. Men with TD who receive treatment often experience resolution or improvement in their sexual symptoms and non-sexual health benefits.
A statistical mechanics approach to mixing in stratified fluids
Authors: Venaille A. , Gostiaux L. , Sommeria J.
Published: December 2016

Predicting how much mixing occurs when a given amount of energy is injected into a Boussinesq fluid is a long-standing problem in stratified turbulence. The huge number of degrees of freedom involved in these processes renders extremely difficult a deterministic approach to the problem. Here we present a statistical mechanics approach yielding a prediction for a cumulative, global mixing efficiency as a function of a global Richardson number and the background buoyancy profile. Assuming random evolution through turbulent stirring, the theory predicts that the inviscid, adiabatic dynamics is attracted irreversibly towards an equilibrium state characterised by a smooth, stable buoyancy profile at a coarse-grained level, upon which are fine-scale fluctuations of velocity and buoyancy. The convergence towards a coarse-grained buoyancy profile different from the initial one corresponds to an irreversible increase of potential energy, and the efficiency of mixing is quantified as the ratio of this potential energy increase to the total energy injected into the system. The remaining part of the energy is lost into small-scale fluctuations. We show that for sufficiently large Richardson number, there is equipartition between potential and kinetic energy, provided that the background buoyancy profile is strictly monotonic. This yields a mixing efficiency of 0.25, which provides statistical mechanics support for previous predictions based on phenomenological kinematics arguments. In the general case, the cumulative, global mixing efficiency predicted by the equilibrium theory can be computed using an algorithm based on a maximum entropy production principle. It is shown in particular that the variation of mixing efficiency with the Richardson number strongly depends on the background buoyancy profile. This approach could be useful to the understanding of mixing in stratified turbulence in the limit of large Reynolds and Péclet numbers.
THE DEFINABILITY STRENGTH OF COMBINATORIAL PRINCIPLES
Authors: WANG WEI
Published: December 2016

We introduce the definability strength of combinatorial principles. In terms of definability strength, a combinatorial principle is strong if solving a corresponding combinatorial problem could help in simplifying the definition of a definable set. We prove that some consequences of Ramsey’s Theorem for colorings of pairs could help in simplifying the definitions of some ${\rm{\Delta }}_2^0$ sets, while some others could not. We also investigate some consequences of Ramsey’s Theorem for colorings of longer tuples. These results of definability strength have some interesting consequences in reverse mathematics, including strengthening of known theorems in a more uniform way and also new theorems.
THE REDUCTS OF THE HOMOGENEOUS BINARY BRANCHING C-RELATION
Authors: BODIRSKY MANUEL , JONSSON PETER , VAN PHAM TRUNG
Published: December 2016

Let ($\rm L$;C) be the (up to isomorphism unique) countable homogeneous structure carrying a binary branching C-relation. We study the reducts of ($\rm L$;C), i.e., the structures with domain $\rm L$ that are first-order definable in ($\rm L$;C). We show that up to existential interdefinability, there are finitely many such reducts. This implies that there are finitely many reducts up to first-order interdefinability, thus confirming a conjecture of Simon Thomas for the special case of ($\rm L$;C). We also study the endomorphism monoids of such reducts and show that they fall into four categories.
ON THE EXPANSIONS OF REAL NUMBERS IN TWO MULTIPLICATIVELY DEPENDENT BASES
Authors: BUGEAUD YANN , KIM DONG HAN
Published: December 2016

Let $r\geq 2$ and $s\geq 2$ be multiplicatively dependent integers. We establish a lower bound for the sum of the block complexities of the $r$-ary expansion and the $s$-ary expansion of an irrational real number, viewed as infinite words on $\{0,1,\ldots ,r-1\}$ and $\{0,1,\ldots ,s-1\}$, and we show that this bound is best possible.
Reproductive ecology of phorid parasitoids in relation to the head size of leaf-cutting antsAtta sexdensForel
Authors: Farder-Gomes C.F. , Oliveira M.A. , Gonçalves P.L. , Gontijo L.M. , Zanuncio J.C. , Bragança M.A.L. , Pires E.M.
Published: December 2016

The leaf-cutting antAtta sexdensForel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is one of the most damaging agricultural pests in the Neotropics. Management strategies predominantly rely on the use of general insecticides. What is needed are more species-specific and environmentally friendly options. Parasitioids such as phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) may be one such option, but a greater understanding of the ecology of the flies and their ant hosts is essential to devise biological control strategies. Here we report parasitism rates, ant host size, parasitoid abundance per host and resultant sex ratios of two phorid speciesApocephalus attophilusBorgmeier andEibesfeldtphora tonhascaiBrown parasitizingA.sexdens. The two species achieved parasitism rates of 1.48 and 1.46%, respectively and the pupal period was 14.7 ± 1.1 days and 22.1 ± 2.8 days, respectively. There was no significant difference between the head capsule width of ants parasitized by eitherA. attophilusorE. tonhascai. Likewise, there was no significant effect between the head capsule width of parasitized and unparasitized ants for both species. A significant positive correlation was found between the head capsule width of the parasitized ants and the number of adult parasitoidsA. attophilusemerged. Ants parasitized byE. tonhascaisurvived significantly longer than those parasitized byA. attophilus. There was no significant effect of ant head width on the sex ratio of the offspring of either parasitoid species and no significant difference in the sex ratio (male: female) of their offspring. In summary, these data addressed here are important steps when considering natural enemies for biological control. Studying survival of the parasitized ants, parasitoid offspring sex ratio and host size preference allows for a better understanding of ant natural biological control in the field and can help in rearing ofA. attophilusandE. tonhascaiin laboratory.
The Role of the State in Employment and Welfare Regulation: Sweden in the European Context
Authors: Koch Max
Published: December 2016

This article examines the changing role of the Swedish state in employment and welfare regulation in an environment that has become more market driven, commodified, and Europeanized. It begins with a theoretical reflection on the role of the state in capitalist development and a review of the recent debate on the spatiality of state regulation: the state as employer, redistributor, and arbiter, and as a shaper of employment relations and welfare. In the latter role, the state is conceptualized as employer, guarantor of employment rights, and procedural regulator, as intermediating neo-corporatist processes, as macroeconomic manager, and as welfare state. From this theoretical basis, the paper identifies changes in state employment and welfare regulation by comparing two periods: the original and mainly nation-state-based founding stage of the Swedish welfare and employment model as it developed after the 1938 Saltsjöbaden Agreement, and the period after Sweden’s accession to the European Union in 1995.
Tributary Labour in the Russian Empire in the Eighteenth Century: Factors in Development
Authors: Khitrov Dmitry
Published: December 2016

This article addresses the system of state-organized and state-controlled tributary labour in the Russian Empire in the eighteenth century. On the basis of the taxpayers’ registry of 1795, it focuses on the social groups obliged to perform military service or labour directly for the polity. They included the numerous “service class” of the southern and eastern frontier regions, including Russian, Ukrainian (mainly Cossack), and indigenous (Bashkir and Kalmyk) communities, and the group of pripisnye, peasants “bound” to industries and shipyards to work for their taxes. The rationale behind the use of this type of labour relation was, on the one hand, the need of the state to secure the support of labour in distant and poorly populated regions, and, on the other, that the communes of labourers saw performing work for the state as a strong guarantee of their landowning privileges.
The determinants of food choice
Authors: Leng Gareth , Adan Roger A. H. , Belot Michele , Brunstrom Jeffrey M. , de Graaf Kees , Dickson Suzanne L. , Hare Todd , Maier Silvia , Menzies John , Preissl Hubert , Reisch Lucia A. , Rogers Peter J. , Smeets Paul A. M.
Published: December 2016

Health nudge interventions to steer people into healthier lifestyles are increasingly applied by governments worldwide, and it is natural to look to such approaches to improve health by altering what people choose to eat. However, to produce policy recommendations that are likely to be effective, we need to be able to make valid predictions about the consequences of proposed interventions, and for this, we need a better understanding of the determinants of food choice. These determinants include dietary components (e.g. highly palatable foods and alcohol), but also diverse cultural and social pressures, cognitive-affective factors (perceived stress, health attitude, anxiety and depression), and familial, genetic and epigenetic influences on personality characteristics. In addition, our choices are influenced by an array of physiological mechanisms, including signals to the brain from the gastrointestinal tract and adipose tissue, which affect not only our hunger and satiety but also our motivation to eat particular nutrients, and the reward we experience from eating. Thus, to develop the evidence base necessary for effective policies, we need to build bridges across different levels of knowledge and understanding. This requires experimental models that can fill in the gaps in our understanding that are needed to inform policy, translational models that connect mechanistic understanding from laboratory studies to the real life human condition, and formal models that encapsulate scientific knowledge from diverse disciplines, and which embed understanding in a way that enables policy-relevant predictions to be made. Here we review recent developments in these areas.
Robert Leiper and the London School of (Hygiene and) Tropical Medicine
Authors: COX FRANCIS E. G.
Published: December 2016

Robert Leiper is best known for his discoveries in the fields of Guinea worm and schistosomiasis, but he also made major contributions to parasitology during his career as helminthologist and later Professor of Helminthology at the London School of (Hygiene and) Tropical Medicine. He was particularly involved in establishing the London School's Winches Farm Field Station and stimulating the research carried out there, work that has made a number of important contributions to our understanding of parasites. Leiper founded the Commonwealth Bureau of Agricultural Parasitology and was also instrumental in initiating, and editing, the Journal of Helminthology, Helminthological Abstracts and establishing, indirectly, Protozoological Abstracts.
Characterizing areas of potential human exposure to eastern equine encephalitis virus using serological and clinical data from horses
Authors: ROCHELEAU J.-P. , ARSENAULT J. , OGDEN N. H. , LINDSAY L. R. , DREBOT M. , MICHEL P.
Published: December 2016

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a rare but severe emerging vector-borne disease affecting human and animal populations in the northeastern United States where it is endemic. Key knowledge gaps remain about the epidemiology of EEE virus (EEEV) in areas where its emergence has more recently been reported. In Eastern Canada, viral activity has been recorded in mosquitoes and horses throughout the 2000s but cases of EEEV in humans have not been reported so far. This study was designed to provide an assessment of possible EEEV human exposure by modelling environmental risk factors for EEEV in horses, identifying high-risk environments and mapping risk in the province of Quebec, Canada. According to logistic models, being located near wooded swamps was a risk factor for seropositivity or disease in horses [odds ratio (OR) 4·15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·16–14·8) whereas being located on agricultural lands was identified as protective (OR 0·75, 95% CI 0·62–0·92). A better understanding of the environmental risk of exposure to EEEV in Canada provides veterinary and public health officials with enhanced means to more effectively monitor the emergence of this public health risk and design targeted surveillance and preventive measures.
Joint spatial time-series epidemiological analysis of malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis infection
Authors: ADEGBOYE O. A. , AL-SAGHIR M. , LEUNG D. H. Y.
Published: December 2016

Malaria and leishmaniasis are among the two most important health problems of many developing countries especially in the Middle East and North Africa. It is common for vector-borne infectious diseases to have similar hotspots which may be attributed to the overlapping ecological distribution of the vector. Hotspot analyses were conducted to simultaneously detect the location of local hotspots and test their statistical significance. Spatial scan statistics were used to detect and test hotspots of malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Afghanistan in 2009. A multivariate negative binomial model was used to simultaneously assess the effects of environmental variables on malaria and CL. In addition to the dependency between malaria and CL disease counts, spatial and temporal information were also incorporated in the model. Results indicated that malaria and CL incidence peaked at the same periods. Two hotspots were detected for malaria and three for CL. The findings in the current study show an association between the incidence of malaria and CL in the studied areas of Afghanistan. The incidence of CL disease in a given month is linked with the incidence of malaria in the previous month. Co-existence of malaria and CL within the same geographical area was supported by this study, highlighting the presence and effects of environmental variables such as temperature and precipitation. People living in areas with malaria are at increased risk for leishmaniasis infection. Local healthcare authorities should consider the co-infection problem by recommending systematic malaria screening for all CL patients.
Non-local Cahn–Hilliard equations with fractional dynamic boundary conditions
Authors: GAL CIPRIAN G.
Published: December 2016

We consider a non-local version of the Cahn–Hilliard equation characterized by the presence of a fractional diffusion operator, and which is subject to fractional dynamic boundary conditions. Our system generalizes the classical system in which the dynamic boundary condition was used to describe any relaxation dynamics of the order-parameter at the walls. The proposed fractional dynamic boundary condition appears to be more general in the sense that it incorporates non-local effects which were completely ignored in the classical approach. We aim to deduce well-posedness and regularity results as well as to establish the existence of finite-dimensional attractors for this system.
Computerized Cognitive Tests Are Associated with Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease in Cognitively Normal Individuals 10 Years Prior
Authors: Soldan Anja , Pettigrew Corinne , Moghekar Abhay , Albert Marilyn ,   the BIOCARD Research Team
Published: December 2016

Objectives: Evidence suggests that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers become abnormal many years before the emergence of clinical symptoms of AD, raising the possibility that biomarker levels measured in cognitively normal individuals would be associated with cognitive performance many years later. This study examined whether performance on computerized cognitive tests is associated with levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of amyloid, tau, and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) obtained approximately 10 years earlier, when individuals were cognitively normal and primarily middle-aged. Methods: Individuals from the BIOCARD cohort (mean age at testing=69 years) were tested on two computerized tasks hypothesized to rely on brain regions affected by the early accumulation of AD pathology: (1) a Paired Associates Learning (PAL) task (n=67) and (2) a visual search task (n=86). Results: In regression analyses, poorer performance on the PAL task was associated with higher levels of CSF p-tau obtained years earlier, whereas worse performance in the visual search task was associated with lower levels of CSF Aβ1-42. Conclusions: These findings suggest that AD biomarker levels may be differentially predictive of specific cognitive functions many years later. In line with the pattern of early accumulation of AD pathology, the PAL task, hypothesized to rely on medial temporal lobe function, was associated with CSF p-tau, whereas the visual search task, hypothesized to rely on frontoparietal function, was associated with CSF amyloid. Studies using amyloid and tau PET imaging will be useful in examining these hypothesized relationships further. (JINS, 2016, 22, 968–977)