bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global Trends in the Political Economy of Smart Grids
Authors: Eid Cherrelle , Hakvoort Rudi , Jong Martin de
Published: May 2017

The global transition towards sustainable, secure, and affordable electricity supply is driving changes in the consumption, production, and transportation of electricity. This chapter provides an overview of three main causes of political–economic tensions with smart grids in the United States, Europe, and China, namely industry structure, regulatory models, and the impact of energy policy. In all cases, the developments are motivated by the possible improvements in reliability and affordability yielded by smart grids, while sustainability of the electricity sector is not a central motivation. A holistic smart grid vision would open up possibilities for better integration of distributed energy resources. The authors recommend that smart grid investments should remain outside of the regulatory framework for utilities and distribution service operators in order to allow for such developments.
Post-Apartheid Electricity Policy and the Emergence of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Sector
Authors: Baker Lucy
Published: May 2017

This chapter situates South Africa’s new renewable energy sector within the context of the country’s electricity system and in turn its unique political economy. The author charts major developments in the country’s energy policy and governance since the end of apartheid and shows how electricity policy is determined by economic, political, and technological factors. Focusing on shifts that have taken place in the country’s electricity governance and policy-making, from a period of generation surplus in 1980s to the supply-side constraints of the present, the chapter asks how, why, and when South Africa’s renewable electricity sector has emerged. The author examines the contested negotiation of key policies, which have been fundamental to the introduction of a renewable energy sector, considers how the new renewable energy sector has evolved thus far, and raises key challenges and concerns for its future development.
Climate Change Policy and Power Sector Reform in Mexico under the Golden Age of Gas
Authors: María Valenzuela José , Studer Isabel
Published: May 2017

Mexico’s low-carbon technology perspectives show lack of coherence with the rising ambition in climate change commitments, for which Mexico is internationally praised. The comparison of two recent energy reforms, corresponding to two administrations, explains this lack of coherence by, on the one hand, the permanence of a strong climate institutional framework devised as a means to increase energy security and, on the other hand, the political commitment to reduce electricity tariffs through the access to low-priced gas in North America. The chapter underscores the political economy trade-offs between the need for a strong climate commitment that provides a stable long-term energy transition pathway and the political and economic short-term benefits derived from low electricity tariffs.
Implementing EU Renewable Energy Policy at the Subnational Level
Authors: Lepesant Gilles
Published: May 2017

The European Union (EU) has set targets for gradually reducing greenhouse gas emissions through 2050. One of the instruments involved is the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive, which specifies a 20 per cent renewable energy target for the EU by 2020. The chapter reviews tensions and institutional innovations that can arise at local and regional levels within the context of the implementation of this policy. Drawing on empirical evidence collected in two regions, one in a federal country (Brandenburg in Germany), one in a unitary state (Aquitaine in France), the chapter describes the factors that determine community and market acceptance of renewable energies, suggesting that appropriate multi-level governance schemes are instrumental in the successful adoption and implementation of EU priorities at the local level.
Introduction
Authors: Kapur Devesh , Mehta Pratap Bhanu , Vaishnav Milan
Published: May 2017

This chapter outlines the analytical framework for the larger volume, situating the book’s inquiry of India’s institutional foundations in the larger context of the multiple transformations the country has experienced since 1947. In so doing, it explicitly seeks to build on a 2005 volume by Kapur and Mehta on India’s public sector performance. The chapter then explicates the central themes that characterize the eleven institutions, or institutional clusters, examined in the book. In the penultimate section, it discusses five central elements of the Indian state’s struggle to transition from “old order” to “new order” institutions. It concludes by arguing that serious institutional reform is vital if the country is to build and sustain an Indian state for the twenty-first century.
Parliament
Authors: Madhavan M.R.
Published: May 2017

This chapter discusses the performance of the Indian Parliament. It looks at the main functions of Parliament—making laws, holding the government accountable, sanctioning government expenditure—and the various procedures for exercising these functions. It discusses the design of these procedures and examines whether any changes can be made in order to improve their functioning. Finally, the chapter looks at some core structural issues that adversely affect the performance of parliament: the anti-defection law, lack of recorded voting as a norm, and limited resources for parliamentarians.
Reforming India’s Institutions of Public Expenditure Governance
Authors: Singh Nirvikar
Published: May 2017

Given the poor quality and effectiveness of much government expenditure in India, this chapter analyses ways of improving effectiveness through institutional reform. Improvements in outcomes include better targeting of redistributive measures and more efficient spending on productive projects. Four potential areas of institutional reform are: (1) improved functioning of individual ministries and departments, at the central and state levels; (2) better coordination across individual ministries and between the centre and states; (3) reassignment of expenditure responsibilities across levels of government (centre to state and/or state to local); and (4) reassignment of tax authorities to provide improved incentives for expenditure governance through electoral accountability. The chapter discusses each of these four areas, recent and potential future institutional reforms, and possibilities for implementing change.
New Regulatory Institutions in Infrastructure
Authors: Dubash Navroz K.
Published: May 2017

This chapter examines the rise, design, and functioning of new infrastructure regulatory institutions in India, with particular attention to the process through which regulators are embedded in a local context. Regulatory performance is often benchmarked against an effort to insulate decision making from undue political influence by delegating powers to technocratic agencies. By this benchmark, regulators have been relatively unsuccessful. But conceptualising the regulatory process as one to be re-made around technical rules is too simple; the Indian context requires regulators to constructively engage with negotiations that occur over regulatory decisions. For this reason, rather than atomistic agencies, “regulatory space” is a more appropriate construct through which to examine the regulatory process, with the judiciary and civil society as particularly important actors. From this broader perspective, regulatory outcomes are more diverse, particularly in their ability to create new spaces for creatively engaging politics.
Institutions of Internal Accountability
Authors: Sridharan R.
Published: May 2017

This chapter looks at reasons why the three major accountability institutions—the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Central Vigilance Commission (CVI), and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)—have not effectively delivered on their mandate. The reasons lie as much in the overall institutional framework in which they have to operate as in their own internal structures, their history, and their legacy of past performance. The chapter recommends that the CAG would do well to position itself as a vital component of the mechanism to enforce the accountability of the executive to the legislature, and also submit itself to monitoring and accountability. The chapter sees merit in the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee to integrate all anti-corruption mechanisms under the Lokpal.
Man and Environment in Ecological Perspective
Authors: Hazarika Manjil
Published: May 2017

The prime focus of this chapter is to set the stage for reconstructing prehistoric ecology in Northeast India by reviewing the relationship between humans and their environment in the present day. To approach this issue, one has to first understand the diverse biological resource in terms of both flora and fauna that have been exploited by people for sustenance and livelihood since ages. Second, one must address the issue of the congenial surroundings in which humans subsist with plant and animal species, cordially maintaining an ecological balance since time immemorial. Northeast India may be considered an archetypal region for understanding humans and their relationship with the environment. As development and change in this region are recorded at a slow pace, this region provides a solid case study for ethnographical analogy in order to understand the palaeoecological context.
Synthesis and Conclusion
Authors: Hazarika Manjil
Published: May 2017

This volume is the first systematic attempt to address the prehistory of Northeast India by combining multidisciplinary data based on archaeological, linguistic, genetic, folkloristic, ethnographic, and ethnobiological information. The book has put forward a strong case for a multidisciplinary approach to archaeological research in areas such as Northeast India, where archaeological record is extremely fragmentary. The book empirically demonstrates the contributions of the Austroasiatic and Tibeto-Burman linguistic communities in the making of the prehistoric scenario of Northeast India. Prehistoric movements of these linguistic groups in different directions throughout Northeast India are in evidence. This concluding chapter synthesizes the data presented in the previous chapters, attempts to draw conclusions, and explores the scope for future directions of research in the region.
Basic Solar and Planetary Properties
Authors: Chance Kelly , Martin Randall V.
Published: May 2017

Basic properties of the Sun, the Earth and its atmosphere, other solar system atmospheres, and extrasolar planetary atmospheres are introduced here to provide background and context for the detailed study of the spectroscopy and radiative transfer of planetary atmospheres. Solar structure is described, including the solar cycle and variability, and a reference solar irradiance is presented. The Earth’s orbit, the seasons, and the ecliptic plane are introduced. The properties of hydrostatic equilibrium, albedo, and spectral reflectance are described. Earth’s atmospheric composition, including aerosols and gases, is summarized. Other atmospheres in the solar system are described and the growing field of extrasolar planets detection and characterization introduced.
Elements of Math and Physics
Authors: Chance Kelly , Martin Randall V.
Published: May 2017

Concepts and formulas that are generally useful in atmospheric radiative transfer are gathered here for later use. These include units for light wavelengths and frequencies. Optical elements for instrument description and characterization (solid angle descriptions, étendue, and the diffraction limit) are presented. Lambertian reflectance and emission properties are described, and the bi-directional reflectance distribution function, BRDF, introduced.
Blackbody Radiation, Boltzmann Statistics, Temperature, and Thermodynamic Equilibrium
Authors: Chance Kelly , Martin Randall V.
Published: May 2017

Blackbody radiation, temperature, and thermodynamic equilibrium give a tightly coupled description of systems (atmospheres, volumes, surfaces) that obey Boltzmann statistics. They provide descriptions of systems when Boltzmann statistics apply, either approximately or nearly exactly. These apply most of the time in the Earth’s stratosphere and troposphere, and in other planetary atmospheres as long as the density is sufficient that collisions among atmospheric molecules, rather than photochemical and photophysical properties, determine the energy populations of the ensemble of molecules. Thermodynamic equilibrium and the approximation of local thermodynamic equilibrium are introduced. Boltzmann statistics, blackbody radiation, and Planck’s law are described. The chapter introduces the Rayleigh-Jeans limit, description of noise sources as temperatures, Kirchoff’s law, the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, and Wien’s law.
Atmospheric Scattering
Authors: Chance Kelly , Martin Randall V.
Published: May 2017

This chapter describes elastic scattering events, where the wavelength of the scattered light is unchanged from that of the incident light and conservative scattering, scattering without absorption, sometimes closely approximated in clouds. The scattering regime, scattering versus wavelengths and scatterer size are introduced. Polarization in scattering is described by the Stokes vector and the polarization ellipse. Molecular (Rayleigh) scattering is presented and its atmospherically-important inelastic component, Raman scattering (the Ring effect) quantified. Mie scattering for spherical particles is described as is the commonly-used Henyey-Greenstein Mie phase function approximation. Non-spherical scatterers are introduced. The Ångstrom exponent and the expansion of phase functions in Legendre polynomials are described.
Principles of Atmospheric Remote Sensing Measurements
Authors: Chance Kelly , Martin Randall V.
Published: May 2017

This chapter provides an overview of atmospheric remote sensing measurement types, with examples. Measurements are made from a variety of locations, platforms, and geometries, including ground-based measurements, aircraft measurements, balloon measurements, and satellite measurements. The chapter discusses spectral sampling, vertical sensitivity including air mass factors, and noise, which all affect measurements in fundamental ways. An overview of the state of trace gas and aerosol measurements from nadir-viewing satellites is given, and the upcoming geostationary constellation of air pollution/air quality satellites is introduced.
Social Reform in America
Authors: Harlow Luke E.
Published: May 2017

Any discussion of nineteenth-century religious Dissent must look carefully at gender. Although distinct from one another in important respects, Nonconformist congregations were patterned on the household as the first unit of God-given society, a model which fostered questions about the relationship between male and female. Ideas of gender coalesced with theology and praxis to shape expectations central to the cultural ethos of Nonconformity. Existing historiographical interpretations of gender and religion that use the separate spheres model have argued that evangelical piety was identified with women who were carefully separated from the world, while men needed to be reclaimed for religion. Despite their virtues, these interpretations suppose that evangelicalism was a hegemonic movement about which it is possible to generalize. Yet the unique history and structures of Nonconformity ensured a high degree of particularity. Gender styles were subtly interpreted and negotiated in Dissenting culture over and against the perceived practices and norms of the mainstream, creating what one Methodist called a ‘whole sub-society’ differentiated from worldly patterns in the culture at large. Dissenting men, for instance, deliberately sought to effect coherence between public and private arenas and took inspiration from the published lives of ‘businessmen “saints”’. Feminine piety in Dissent likewise rested on integration, not separation, with women credited with forming godly communities. The insistence on inherent spiritual equality was important to Dissenters and was imaged most clearly in marriage, which transcended the public/private divide and supplied a model for domestic and foreign mission. Missionary work also allowed for the valorization and mobilization of distinctive feminine and masculine types, such as the single woman missionary who bore ‘spiritual offspring’ and the manly adventurer. Over the century, religious revivals in Dissent might shift these patterns somewhat: female roles were notably renegotiated in the Salvation Army, while Holiness revivals stimulated demands for female preaching and women’s religious writing, making bestsellers of writers such as Hannah Whitall Smith. Thus Dissent was characterized throughout the Anglophone world by an emphasis on spiritual equality combined with a sharpened perception of sexual difference, albeit one which was subject to dynamic reformulation throughout the century.
Synesthetic Perception as Continuous with Ordinary Perception, or
Authors: Cohen Jonathan
Published: May 2017

It appears that the distinctive feature at the core of our understanding of synesthesia—informational integration between psychological systems—is also ubiquitous in normal perception. This observation invites the question whether synesthesia is a fundamentally distinct, pathological outlier, or a syndrome continuous with capacities present in normal perception. In this chapter I offer several arguments for the continuity view. I suggest that the forms of integration in synesthetic and normal perception exhibit striking, detailed, and unexpected similarities, while the evidence some have taken to reveal significant, qualitative dissimilarities is less decisive than it may first appear. Moreover, the continuity view correctly predicts the otherwise surprising result that synesthetes perform better than non-synesthete controls in integrative perceptual tasks that don’t implicate synesthetic perception. I’ll conclude that synesthetic perception is usefully viewed as closer to non-synesthetic perception (a fortiori, less clearly pathological) than standard views allow.
Merleau-Ponty and the Problem of Synaesthesia
Authors: Abath André J.
Published: May 2017

This chapter discusses Merleau-Ponty’s account of synaesthesia as presented in his Phenomenology of Perception. The chapter argues, first, that this account is unsuccessful in dealing with what will be called synaesthesia proper. Second, the chapter argues that this account also falls short of illuminating two other forms of sensory union, namely crossmodal correspondences and crossmodal mental imagery. Finally, the chapter argues that, despite these shortcomings, Merleau-Ponty’s account is still relevant today, for in his discussion of the phenomenon of synaesthesia he happens to identify a form of sensory union—here called sensorimotor crossmodality—that has been overlooked by contemporary accounts.
When is Synaesthesia Perception?
Authors: Matthen Mohan
Published: May 2017

Under certain conditions, synaesthesia would properly be understood as perception, i.e. as experience that affords the subject an accurate imagistic representation of some occurrence in the world that the subject understands as such. Perception is a true imagistic representation of the world concurrently around the perceiver, which, moreover, gives the perceiver unmediated reason to believe in what is so represented. Projector synaesthetes have an enhanced experience of what is known as the inducer stimulus. This experience includes a concurrent experience over and above the normal experience. I define direct synaesthesia as enhanced experience that gives direct reason to believe in the existence of the inducer (not the concurrent). Such direct projector synaesthesia is worth investigating because it seems, in short, to be enhanced perception of the inducer.
Birds’ Eye Views
Authors: Martin Graham R.
Published: May 2017

From views taken at high altitudes, to the videos recorded by cameras mounted on a flying eagle, so-called birds’ eye views are commonplace. But are they really what a bird sees? What really is a bird’s world? The Greek philosopher Epicurus argued that each animal experiences a different world, leading him to question the basis of human reality; in turn this led to Scepticism and the scientific method. Modern techniques of sensory ecology applied to birds show how correct Epicurus was. Sensory information in birds is uniquely and finely tuned to the ecology and behaviours of each species. Different sensory information is tradedoff, and specific knowledge of places and situations are necessary to cope with natural conditions when environmental information is sparse or lacking. The worlds in which birds live are as diverse as their species and are essential to their description and to our understanding of their behaviours.
Vision
Authors: Martin Graham R.
Published: May 2017

Vision is the primary source of information about the environments in which birds live. But vision is not ‘all-seeing’; it is subject to many constraints, trade-offs, and compromises. Furthermore, the basic components of eyes (optics, image analysing systems, and eye positions) have been subject to intense and persistent natural selection which has resulted in eyes whose capacities are tuned in many and subtle ways to the perceptual challenges posed by life in different environments. Colour vision, spatial resolution, contrast sensitivity, absolute sensitivity, and visual fields all differ markedly between species. Even two birds with eyes that appear very similar may have quite different bird’s eye views, and all birds have a different world view from our own. Knowledge of these differences is vital for understanding the behaviours of birds. While vision provides key information only rarely is it sufficient to guide behaviour, information from other senses must come into play.
Hearing and Olfaction
Authors: Martin Graham R.
Published: May 2017

Hearing and the sense of smell (olfaction) complement vision in gaining information about objects remote from the body. Hearing sensitivity in birds shows relatively little variation between species and sits well within the hearing capacities of young humans. Most birds have relatively poor ability to locate sounds in direction and distance. Only in owls does the accuracy of sound location match that of humans. A few highly specialized birds employ echolocation to orient themselves in the total darkness of caves. There is increasing evidence that olfaction is a key sense in birds guiding diverse behaviours across many species. Olfaction plays a key role in the location of profitable foraging locations at sea and on land, and in some species smell may be used to locate individual food items and nests. Olfaction may also play a role through semiochemicals in the recognition of species and individuals, and in mate choice.
Touch, Taste, and Magnetoreception
Authors: Martin Graham R.
Published: May 2017

Touch and taste provide information about objects in contact with, and inside, the body for use in detection and manipulation of food items. Four main types of touch receptors are found distributed in most parts of the body but some birds have ‘bill tip organs’ with very high concentrations of touch receptors. Three main types of bill tip organs are found in waterfowl, parrots, shorebirds, ibises, and kiwi. They allow birds to locate hidden objects with the bill alone and parrots to use their bills as third limbs. Seven types of taste receptors exist in birds, mainly in the mouth cavity but also within the gut. Information from these receptors play key roles in food intake and aids shorebirds in detecting profitable feeding locations. Detection of the geomagnetic field, by means of two known mechanisms, is probably widespread among birds. It plays a key role in direction and position finding.
From Senses to Sensory Ecology
Authors: Martin Graham R.
Published: May 2017

The sensory information available to birds differs markedly between species and it is important to make sense of this diversity in the context of the species’ ecology and behaviour. It is clear that sensory information varies in relation to the environmental challenges that birds face in conducting their lives in different environments, especially with respect to the tasks associated with foraging. Applying knowledge of sensory systems and sensory capacities to questions about how birds are able to carry out particular tasks, especially in environments where information is restricted, provides valuable insights into how bird behaviour is governed by information. By delving into the details of these different sensory worlds, and by exploring their links with specific environments and tasks, we can gain valuable insights into how our human world is also a product of specialised sensory information, which has also evolved for the control of particular tasks in specific types of environmental situations.
Birds in the Dark: Complementary and Partial Information
Authors: Martin Graham R.
Published: May 2017

Night-time poses exacting problems for vision, resolution inevitably falls and colour vision is not possible as light levels decrease to those of natural night time. Furthermore, light levels are highly variable depending upon whether there is moonlight, and night length changes dramatically in the annual cycle according to latitude. Few birds exploit the resources available at night. Those that do rely upon information received from vision complemented by information from other senses (hearing, olfaction, and touch), and upon highly specialized and restricted behaviours. However, many birds occasionally exploit night-time, e.g. during migration, arriving and departing from nests, and occasional night feeding. Some seabirds dive to such depths that they experience night-time light levels when foraging. Truly nocturnal species such as owls, kiwi, and oilbirds are highly sedentary, and this is essential to allow them to interpret correctly the partial information that is available to them.
Birds Underwater: A Paucity of Information
Authors: Martin Graham R.
Published: May 2017

Entering beneath the water surface produces a radical change in perceptual challenges. The eye is no longer able to focus adequately and, with increasing depth, light levels decrease and the spectral properties of ambient light narrows with the result that visual resolution decreases rapidly and colour cues are lost. Diving to depth is rapid which means that perceptual challenges change constantly. This results in a paucity of visual information and olfaction and hearing cannot be used to complement this loss. Amphibious foragers must rely upon minimal cues and very specialized foraging behaviours; some ducks may forage for sessile prey using touch sensitivity in the bill, cormorants use a technique in which they trigger an escape response from a fish which they catch at very short range, while penguins and auks may rely upon minimal cues from photophores on fish and random encounters with prey.
The Sensory Ecology of Collisions and Entrapment
Authors: Martin Graham R.
Published: May 2017

Collisions of birds with human artefacts (power lines, wind turbines, glass sheets, etc.) are major source of bird mortality. Many birds are also killed by entrapment in fishing nets. A sensory ecology perspective on this problem shows that collision and entrapment occur because these hazards present perceptual tasks that are beyond the capacities of the birds; birds are carrying out tasks where a hazard would not be predicted; or birds perceive the hazard but make an inappropriate categorical response. Birds that fly into power lines and turbines may be simply not looking ahead or are flying in conditions in which their resolution is very low. Reducing collisions requires far more than attempting to make hazards more conspicuous to humans. It requires recognition of the birds’ perceptual limitations and their distraction away from hazard sites. This requires taking account of the particular ecological requirements and sensory capacities of each target species.
Income precarity and the financial crisis
Authors: Nau Michael , Soener Matthew
Published: May 2017

American families have become less economically secure in recent decades, and this process accelerated during the 2008 financial crisis and its immediate aftermath. This study investigates how the crisis apportioned income precarity among families compared to pre-crisis years. We use the Survey of Consumer Finances and find that working families suffered the preponderance of income losses from the crisis, although the crisis shifted income losses towards more privileged working families. In fact, middle-income working families now have the same level of income precarity as the working poor, and families in the top income quintile continue to have elevated precarity levels. This result indicates that the middle class continues to bear a growing share of economic risk and that all working families are experiencing heightened insecurity in the post-crisis era.
Implementation of Programmed Intermittent Epidural Bolus for the Maintenance of Labor Analgesia
Authors: Carvalho B. , George R.B. , Cobb B. , McKenzie C. , Riley E.T.
Published: May 2017

(Anesth Analg. 2016;123(4):965–971)

Patients can still experience breakthrough pain under patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) with continuous epidural infusion (CEI). An alternative to PCEA with or without CEI is programmed intermittent epidural bolus (PIEB) of epidural analgesia. In the present study, the authors reviewed the potential for PIEB to improve maintenance of labor analgesia and discussed the current evidence for improving labor analgesia outcomes as well as considerations for the implementation of PIEB.
The Effect of Combined Spinal-Epidural Versus Epidural Analgesia in Laboring Women on Nonreassuring Fetal Heart Rate Tracings: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Hattler J. , Klimek M. , Rossaint R. , Heesen M.
Published: May 2017

(Anesth Analg. 2016;123(4):955–964)

Studies have reported that combined spinal-epidural (CSE) analgesia is associated with a higher incidence of fetal heart rate (FHR) abnormalities. However, recent trials have not corroborated this finding. Consequently, the authors of the present study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the incidence of nonreassuring FHR tracings in parturients who received labor analgesia initiated by the CSE versus epidural analgesia technique. In this study, primary outcomes were nonreassuring FHR tracings and fetal bradycardia; the secondary outcome was the incidence of cesarean delivery performed for nonreassuring FHR tracing.
Observed Rate of Down Syndrome in Twin Pregnancies
Authors: Sparks T.N. , Norton M.E. , Flessel M. , Goldman S. , Currier R.J.
Published: May 2017

(Obstet Gynecol. 2016;128(5):1127–1133)

The risk of Down syndrome in twin pregnancies is not well established, although some studies suggest that it may be lower. The authors of the present study designed a large retrospective cohort study and compared the observed incidence of Down syndrome in women with twins with the incidence expected based on zygosity and maternal age-matched singletons.
Incidence of and Risk Indicators for Vasa Praevia: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ruiter L. , Kok N. , Limpens J. , Derks J.B. , de Graaf I.M. , Mol B.W.J. , Pajkrta E.
Published: May 2017

(BJOG. 2016;123:1278–1287)

Vasa previa (VP) is a rare but serious condition of fetal blood vessels lying over the cervical os. As the presenting part descends, the vessels can be compressed leading to fetal heart rate abnormalities. There is also the potential for rupture of the vessels and fetal hemorrhage with rupture of membranes. Thus, there is increased risk for neonatal morbidity or mortality in the setting of VP. Prenatal identification of VP via ultrasound could prevent neonatal death and morbidity by prompting elective cesarean delivery, thereby avoiding rupture of the fetal vessels. However, ultrasound examination of the umbilical cord insertion site is not routine. This meta-analysis was undertaken to determine the occurrence and risk indicators of VP with the goal of identifying the at-risk population that should receive ultrasound screening.
Risk Factors and Newborn Outcomes Associated With Maternal Deaths in the UK From 2009 to 2013: A National Case-control Study
Authors: Nair M. , Knight M. , Kurinczuk J.J.
Published: May 2017

(BJOG. 2016;123:1654–1662)

Studies have identified several factors associated with the progression of serious pregnancy complications to maternal death, including medical comorbidities, inadequate antenatal care, and sociodemographic factors. However, identification of differences between the normal pregnant population and those who die from complications during pregnancy or childbirth could be valuable when working to update and improve current pregnancy care pathways focused on the management and/or prevention of risks and complications during pregnancy and childbirth. This current study aimed to determine the risk factors for maternal deaths from direct and indirect causes in the UK between 2009 and 2013 as well as any adverse fetal and newborn outcomes associated with the deaths.
Why Women With Previous Caesarean and Eligible for a Trial of Labour Have an Elective Repeat Caesarean Delivery? A National Study in France
Authors: Bartolo S. , Goffinet F. , Blondel B. , Deneux-Tharaux C.
Published: May 2017

(BJOG. 2016;123(10):1664–1673)

Cesarean section (CS) rates have increased worldwide resulting in a concurrent increase in the percentage of pregnant women with a history of previous CS. In the United States in 2013, 15% of all births occurred in women with a previous CS. Likewise in France in 2010, women with a previous CS accounted for 11% of all deliveries. This is cause for concern because these women are at greater risk for certain high-risk conditions such as placenta accreta and uterine rupture along with associated increases in maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. For these women, it is important to discuss plans regarding the mode of delivery—elective repeat cesarean delivery (ERCD) or a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC). For the majority of women, national guidelines recommend TOLAC. However, in the United States and Europe, the ERCD rates are much higher than would be expected if guidelines regarding recommended delivery plan were followed. The objective of this study performed in France was to identify the characteristics of patients and maternity units when ERCD was performed in women who were eligible for TOLAC.
Incidence of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in Eclamptic and Patients With Preeclampsia With Neurological Symptoms
Authors: Mayama M. , Uno K. , Tano S. , Yoshihara M. , Ukai M. , Kishigami Y. , Ito Y. , Oguchi H.
Published: May 2017

(Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016; 215(2):239.e1–239.e5)

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) has been reported numerous times in patients with eclampsia, but has also been occasionally reported in patients with preeclampsia. PRES is a syndrome in which the affected patients are observed to have reversible vasogenic brain edema in addition to acute neurological symptoms such as seizures, impaired consciousness, and visual disturbances. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of PRES in patients with preeclampsia and eclampsia and establish any pathophysiological backgrounds they may share through a comparison of clinical and radiologic characteristics.
General Anesthesia Causes Epigenetic Histone Modulation of c-Fos and Brain-derived Neurotrophic: Factor, Target Genes Important for Neuronal Development in the Immature Rat Hippocampus
Authors: Dalla Massara L. , Osuru H.P. , Oklopcic A. , Milanovic D. , Joksimovic S.M. , Caputo V. , DiGruccio M.R. , Ori C. , Wang G. , Todorovic S.M. , Jevtovic-Todorovic V.
Published: May 2017

(Anesthesiology. 2016;124(6):1311–1327)

Research studies have shown that general anesthesia (GA) exposure among young animals causes cognitive impairments in not only first generation offspring but also nonexposed second generation offspring born to dams. Studies on rodents have revealed that GA exposure in utero has proven this to be true, thus confirming that transient GA exposure during a critical period of neuronal remodeling does result in changes that become embedded in the genetic information thus causing cognitive impairments. This study hypothesized that during critical stages of synaptogenesis, transient exposure to GA results in epigenetic changes in chromatin with adverse effects on transcription of target genes which are important for proper synapse formation and cognitive development.
A Population-based Study Evaluating the Association Between Surgery in Early Life and Child Development at Primary School Entry
Authors: O’Leary J.D. , Janus M. , Duku E. , Wijeysundera D.N. , To T. , Li P. , Maynes J.T. , Crawford M.W.
Published: May 2017

(Anesthesiology. 2016;125:272–279)

Surgery in childhood warrants the administration of anesthetics or sedatives. Earlier studies have indicated a significant correlation between anesthetic exposure in childhood and neurodevelopment, as evaluated by academic performance indicators or behavioral outcomes. The present population-based cohort study aimed to analyze the impact of anesthesia and surgery in early childhood on child development.
Anesthetic Neurotoxicity Meets Big Data: Reasons to Be Cheerful?
Authors: Kalkman C.J. , Eriksson L.I.
Published: May 2017

(Anesthesiology. 2016;125(2):263–265)

The potential risk to the developing human brain of general anesthetic exposure has been a topic of interest to both anesthesiologists and the public. Several research endeavors in addition to those by the public/private International Anesthesia Research Society/US Food and Drug Administration initiative SMARTTots (http://www.smarttots.org) and the European Society of Anaesthesiology-sponsored (Brussels, Belgium) EuroStar” consortium (http//www.esahq.org/research/research-groups/eurostar) have been undertaken in an attempt to elucidate the effects of anesthesia and keep parents informed as they make decisions regarding surgery and anesthesia in their infants and young children.
The Effect of Labour Induction on the Risk of Caesarean Delivery: Using Propensity Scores to Control Confounding by Indication
Authors: Danilack V.A. , Dore D.D. , Triche E.W. , Muri J.H. , Phipps M.G. , Savitz D.A.
Published: May 2017

(BJOG. 2016;123(9):1521–1529)

Labor induction is sometimes undertaken when it is determined there may be potential benefit over expectant management for the mother or fetus, such as situations of preeclampsia, postterm pregnancy, oligohydramnios, or intrauterine growth restriction. Several research studies have been undertaken to understand the relationship between labor induction and an increased risk of cesarean delivery (CD). However, effect estimates for labor induction are often considered to be biased due to confounding by indication. This means the medical reason the patient underwent induction, such as preeclampsia, also increases the risk of CD. Thus, although induction might be found to be associated with an increased risk of CD, it might be the underlying condition, not the induction, accounting for this association. Propensity scores can be used to determine an individual’s predicted probability to be induced versus not to be induced. The present study aimed to limit the effect of confounding by indication in determining the association between labor induction and CD by using 2 propensity score methods, namely matching and adjustment.
A Postpartum Haemorrhage Package With Condom Uterine Balloon Tamponade: A Prospective Multicenter Case Series in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Nepal
Authors: Burke T.F. , Ahn R. , Nelson B.D. , Hines R. , Kamara J. , Oguttu M. , Dulo L. , Achieng E. , Achieng B. , Natarajan A. , Maua J. , Kargbo S.A.S. , Altawil Z. , Tester K. , de Redon E. , Niang M. , Abdalla K. , Eckardt M.J.
Published: May 2017

(BJOG. 2016;123:1532–1540)

Uncontrolled postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Several interventions have been developed and studied to manage uncontrolled PPH. However, several of these are not available in resource-limited settings. The authors of this study have developed a PPH package that includes an ultra-low cost (<US$5) condom uterine balloon tamponade kit called Every Second Matters for Mothers and Babies TM-UBT (ESM-UBT). They had previously used the kit in the South Sudan. They undertook the current multicenter prospective trial in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Nepal to assess the efficacy and safety of the ESM-UBT pack.
Prolonged Latency of Preterm Prelabour Rupture of Membranes and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis
Authors: Drassinower D. , Friedman A.M. , Običan S.G. , Levin H. , Gyamfi-Bannerman C.
Published: May 2017

(BJOG. 2016;123(10):1629–1635)

Neurodevelopmental delay is multifactorial and can result from a variety of disturbances to the developing fetal brain. Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) that leads to spontaneous preterm birth is often associated with inflammation and infection. As PPROM and neurodevelopmental delay are both associated with inflammation and infection, it has been suggested that prolonged PPROM could be an independent risk factor for neurodevelopmental delay, separate from the increased risk associated with preterm birth. This study aimed to investigate whether prolonged exposure of the fetus in utero to PPROMs was associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay.
Correlation of Probability Scores of Placenta Accreta on Magnetic Resonance Imaging With Hemorrhagic Morbidity
Authors: Lim G. , Horowitz J.M. , Berggruen S. , Ernst L.M. , Linn R.L. , Hewlett B. , Kim J. , Chalifoux L.A. , McCarthy R.J.
Published: May 2017

(J Clin Anesth. 2016;34:261–269)

Owing to increases in both cesarean delivery rates and maternal age, the incidence of placenta accreta is rising. Placenta accreta is an abnormal form of placentation with increased depth of placental invasion that is associated with maternal hemorrhage and is an important cause of maternal death. The objective of this study was to assess whether routine stratification of antepartum magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of abnormal placentation correlated with severe maternal hemorrhage and blood product requirements with the goal of appropriately identifying and preparing patients at risk for these outcomes.
Cesarean Section Rates and Adverse Neonatal Outcomes After Induction of Labour Versus Expectant Management in Women With an Unripe Cervix: A Secondary Analysis of the HYPITAT and DIGITAT Trials
Authors: Bernardes T.P. , Broekhuijsen K. , Koopmans C.M. , Boers K.E. , van Wyk L. , Tajik P. , van Pampus M.G. , Scherjon S.A. , Mol B.W. , Franssen M.T. , van den Berg P.P. , Groen H.
Published: May 2017

(BJOG. 2016;123(9):1501–1508)

Between 20% and 25% of pregnancies involve induction of labor (IOL), with the intervention indicated when conditions exist where a better outcome for mother and/or child would be expected if the pregnancy is not further prolonged. However, the effectiveness of IOL is debatable, especially in the setting of an unripe cervix, with studies indicating an associated high rate of cesarean section (CS). The objective of this study was to evaluate CS and adverse neonatal outcome rates for IOL versus expectant management in women with an unripe cervix at or near term, using a secondary analysis of data from 2 previously completed randomized trials.
Fetal Cardiovascular Hemodynamics in Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
Authors: Wohlmuth C. , Gardiner H.M. , Diehl W. , Hecher K.
Published: May 2017

(Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2016;95(6):664–671)

Research has shown that about 10% to 15% of monochorionic-diamniotic pregnancies are complicated by the twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). TTTS arises because of the unbalanced transfer of fluid and vasoactive mediators from 1 twin to the other via placental anastomoses.
Timing of Delivery and Pregnancy Outcomes in Women With Gestational Diabetes
Authors: Feghali M.N. , Caritis S.N. , Catov J.M. , Scifres C.M.
Published: May 2017

(Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016;215:243.e1–243.e7)

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can lead to other pregnancy-related adverse effects such as macrosomia and birth trauma. To prevent these maternal and neonatal risks, labor is usually induced at term in women with GDM. However, the risks and benefits of induction of labor (IOL) have been inadequately analyzed. The objective of this study was to assess the correlation between IOL, gestational age and rates of cesarean delivery (CD) in women who have GDM.
Pregnancy Outcomes in Women With a History of Previable, Preterm Prelabor Rupture of Membranes
Authors: Monson M.A. , Gibbons K.J. , Esplin M.S. , Manuck T.A.
Published: May 2017

(Obstet Gynecol. 2016;128(5):976–982)

About one third of preterm births is caused by preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM), which is a complication that occurs in about 3% to 4.5% of all pregnancies. The objective of this study was to describe subsequent pregnancy outcomes among women who had a history of PPROM at <24 weeks of gestation. The study also evaluated the use of various prophylaxis modalities during preterm birth.
IV Paracetamol as an Adjunct to Patient-controlled Epidural Analgesia With Levobupivacaine and Fentanyl in Labour: A Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Gupta K. , Mitra S. , Kazal S. , Saroa R. , Ahuja V. , Goel P.
Published: May 2017

(Br J Anaesth. 2016;117:617–622)

Neuraxial techniques are the accepted gold standard for intrapartum labor analgesia but adjunctive agents may help to provide a dose-sparing effect. Paracetamol is an effective antipyretic and analgesic medication with established tolerability and a favorable safety profile. However, very few studies have assessed its intrapartum use, and no study has evaluated intravenous (IV) paracetamol as an adjunct analgesic agent for labor analgesia regimens. The authors of the present study thus evaluated the efficacy of a 1000 mg IV. infusion of paracetamol as an adjunct and its sparing effect on total levobupivacaine and fentanyl consumption.
Ephedrine Versus Ondansetron in the Prevention of Hypotension During Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial
Authors: Nivatpumin P. , Thamvittayakul V.
Published: May 2017

(Int J Obstet Anesth. 2016;27:25–31)

Maternal hypotension is a common complication of spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery. This can lead to bothersome side effects such as nausea and vomiting as well as more serious consequences like fetal hypoxia and acidosis. Phenylephrine and ephedrine are typically administered for the prevention and/or treatment of spinal-induced hypotension. However, some studies in the past few years have shown that ondansetron, a serotonin (5-HT3) receptor antagonist, was effective at preventing spinal-induced hypotension. It has been hypothesized that ondansetron prevents hypotension by inhibition of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex. This current randomized, double-blind study compared the efficacy of ephedrine and ondansetron for the prevention of maternal hypotension in parturients receiving spinal anesthesia for elective cesarean delivery.
Pencil-point Needle Bevel Direction Influences ED50 of Isobaric Ropivacaine With Fentanyl in Spinal Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery: A Prospective, Double-blind Sequential Allocation Study
Authors: Stroumpoulis K. , Stamatakis E. , Koutroumanis P. , Loukeri A. , Valsamidis D.
Published: May 2017

(Int J Obstet Anesth. 2015;24:225–229)

There are few studies on the effect of bevel direction on the quality of spinal anesthesia when using a pencil-point spinal needle. The authors’ clinical experience suggested a lower local anesthetic dose was needed to achieve satisfactory anesthesia for cesarean delivery (CD) when the distal aperture of a Whitacre spinal needle was oriented cephalad. Their present double-blind study used the minimum local analgesic dose model to investigate if the median effective dose (ED50) of isobaric ropivacaine for CD spinal anesthesia varied based on the distal aperture direction of a Whitacre pencil-point needle.