bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Active surveillance in prostate cancer: a concept analysis
Authors: Horrill Tara
Published: January 2016

Aim

To report an analysis of the concept of active surveillance.

Background

Prostate cancer has become more prevalent since the introduction of PSA screening, however, many men are diagnosed with low‐risk disease that may not require treatment. Active surveillance is a treatment strategy used to avoid treatment and related adverse effects when immediate treatment is not necessary. A universal definition is lacking.

Design

Concept analysis.

Data sources

The CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar databases were searched for literature published between 1980 and 2014 using the term active surveillance.

Methods

The method of Walker and Avant (2010) was used to analyse the concept of active surveillance, specifically within the context of prostate cancer.

Results

Key attributes of active surveillance emerging from the analysis include: regular and purposeful monitoring, early detection of disease progression and planned curative intervention if necessary. Multiple terms are used in the literature to refer to the concept of active surveillance. Active surveillance can cause uncertainty, and prompt men to make lifestyle changes and seek more information on prostate cancer.

Conclusion

Active surveillance is not well understood, and ambiguity remains around the concept. Active surveillance and watchful waiting are used interchangeably in the literature and in clinical practice, but in fact do not refer to the same strategy. Active surveillance can generate significant uncertainty for the patient and family, which may be a barrier to choosing it as a treatment strategy and nursing research in this area is limited.

Relevance to clinical practice

Nurses need a clear understanding of active surveillance and how it differs from other strategies in order to reduce ambiguity around the concept. Nurses must be aware of the uncertainty accompanying active surveillance, and a need exists for continued nursing research in this area.
Comparison of normal and abnormal fertilization of in vitro‐matured human oocyte according to insemination method
Authors: Park Ju Hee , Jee Byung Chul , Kim Seok Hyun
Published: January 2016

Aim

Our purpose was to compare the normal fertilization rate, multi‐pronuclei (PN) formation rate, and embryonic development of in vitro‐matured oocytes between conventional insemination and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Methods

A total of 213 stimulated in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles were selected, in which at least one immature oocyte was obtained (from 2010 to 2014). Immature oocytes were assigned to germinal vesicle (GV)‐stage or metaphase I (MI)‐stage oocyte groups. Cycles with obligatory ICSI due to male‐factor infertility were excluded. Cycles were divided into two groups according to fertilization method: there were 97 cycles with conventional insemination and 116 cycles with ICSI. After in vitro maturation of 324 GV‐stage oocytes and 341 MI‐stage oocytes, the fertilization rate, multi‐PN formation rate, and embryonic development were compared according to the fertilization method.

Results

The normal fertilization rate was similar in the conventional insemination and the ICSI both in GV‐derived and MI‐derived oocytes. Both fertilization methods resulted in a similar multi‐PN formation rate in GV‐derived oocytes; however, in MI‐derived oocytes, the multi‐PN formation rate was zero with ICSI and this was significantly lower than that with conventional insemination (9.6%, P = 0.001).

Conclusion

In non‐male‐factor infertility, ICSI should be considered when MI oocytes are matured.
N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide and cardiac troponin T in non‐immune hydrops
Authors: Lee Seung Mi , Jun Jong Kwan , Kim Su Ah , Kang Min Ji , Song Sang Hoon , Lee JoonHo , Park Chan‐Wook , Park Joong Shin
Published: January 2016

Aim

We analyzed the N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in non‐immune hydrops cases, to determine whether congestive heart failure or inadequate cardiac output may be mechanisms underlying abnormal fluid collection in hydrops.

Methods

The study population consisted of singleton neonates with non‐immune hydrops and healthy control neonates, matched for both gestational age at delivery and mode of delivery. The subjects were divided into three groups: group 1, hydrops of cardiac origin (n=6); group 2, hydrops of non‐cardiac origin (n=17); and group 3, control (n=23). The NT‐proBNP and cTnT were measured in the cord blood collected at the time of delivery.

Results

The median cord blood concentrations of NT‐proBNP and cTnT were not different between the hydrops (groups 1 and 2) or control cases. However, the NT‐proBNP level was elevated in group 1 compared with groups 2 and 3. The concentrations of cTnT did not differ among the three groups.

Conclusions

The concentration of NT‐proBNP was only elevated in cases of hydrops of cardiac origin. Congestive heart failure might not be the underlying mechanism of fluid collection in cases of non‐immune hydrops of non‐cardiac origin, and NT‐proBNP may be a promising tool to differentiate the origin of hydrops.
Higher pre‐pregnancy body mass index is associated with excessive gestational weight gain in normal weight Chinese mothers with gestational diabetes
Authors: Yang Yue , Wei Qiong , Yu Hong , Wang Pin , Xia Wenqing , Huang Rong , Cai Rongrong , Sun Haixia , Wang Shaohua
Published: January 2016

Aim

To assess how pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI) affects pregnancy outcome and total gestational weight gain (GWG) in a cohort of women with gestational diabetes (GDM).

Methods

Pregnant women at 24–28 gestational weeks diagnosed with GDM were classified as normal weight (pre‐pregnancy BMI, 18.5–24.9 kg/m2) or overweight (pre‐pregnancy BMI, 25.0–29.9 kg/m2). GWG was derived from the self‐reported pre‐pregnancy and pre‐delivery weights, and analyzed using 2009 Institute of Medicine categories.

Results

A total of 106 GDM women were categorized as normal weight (n = 79) or overweight (n = 27). No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of various obstetrical and neonatal outcomes. Higher pre‐pregnancy BMI, however, was associated with excessive GWG during pregnancy (difference between groups, P = 0.013). Furthermore, pre‐pregnancy BMI (OR, 0.529; 95%CI: 0.377–0.742; P = 0.000) and pre‐pregnancy overweight (OR, 3.825; 95%CI: 1.469–9.959; P = 0.006) were independent factors of GWG.

Conclusions

Among Chinese GDM women, overweight GDM mothers gain excessive weight during pregnancy. Regulation of pre‐pregnancy bodyweight might be an appropriate precaution against excessive GWG.
Is clomiphene citrate stair‐step protocol a good alternative to gonadotrophins in clomiphene‐resistant PCO patients? Prospective study
Authors: Salaheldin AbdelHamid Amr M. , Rateb Ahmed M. , Ismail Madkour Wael A.
Published: January 2016

Aim

To compare the efficacy and safety of the clomiphene citrate (CC) stair‐step protocol with standard gonadotrophin (follicle‐stimulating hormone) treatment in clomiphene‐resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. The study was a prospective cohort study in a tertiary infertility center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Methods

The subjects consisted of 100 PCOS CC‐resistant patients who attended between January 2014 and January 2015. Fifty received CC again but in accordance with the stair‐step protocol, and the other 50 received the standard gonadotrophin treatment used in the center in which the study was conducted. The primary outcome measure was dominant follicle achievement; the secondary outcome measures were (i) clinical pregnancy rate; (ii) time to ovulation measured from treatment initiation to sonographic confirmation of a dominant follicle in days; and (iii) adverse effect occurrence.

Results

There was no difference between the two treatment modalities concerning the ability to achieve a dominant follicle or the clinical pregnancy rate. The time to ovulation was significantly shorter with the CC stair‐step protocol than with gonadotrophin treatment. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and ovarian cyst formation were more likely to occur with gonadotrophin treatment.

Conclusion

Clomiphene citrate stair‐step protocol can be offered to PCOS CC‐resistant patients as an alternative to gonadotrophin therapy with similar efficacy.
The evolution of healthcare quality measurement in the United States
Authors: Burstin H. , Leatherman S. , Goldmann D.
Published: January 2016

Quality measurement is fundamental to systematic improvement of the healthcare system. Whilst the United States has made significant investments in healthcare quality measurement and improvement, progress has been somewhat limited. Public and private payers in the United States increasingly mandate measurement and reporting as part of pay‐for‐performance programmes. Numerous issues have limited improvement, including lack of alignment in the use of measures and improvement strategies, the fragmentation of the US healthcare system, and the lack of national electronic systems for measurement, reporting, benchmarking and improvement. Here, we provide an overview of the evolution of US quality measurement efforts, including the role of the National Quality Forum. Important contextual changes such as the growing shift towards electronic data sources and clinical registries are discussed together with international comparisons. In future, the US healthcare system needs to focus greater attention on the development and use of measures that matter. The three‐part aim of effective care, affordable care and healthy communities in the US National Quality Strategy focuses attention on population health and reduction in healthcare disparities. To make significant improvements in US health care, a closer connection between measurement and both evolving national data systems and evidence‐based improvement strategies is needed.
Teen Dating Violence, Sexual Harassment, and Bullying Among Middle School Youth: Examining Measurement Invariance by Gender
Authors: Cutbush Stacey , Williams Jason
Published: January 2016

This study investigated measurement invariance by gender among commonly used teen dating violence (TDV), sexual harassment, and bullying measures. Data were collected from one cohort of seventh‐grade middle school students (N = 754) from four schools. Using structural equation modeling, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses assessed measurement models and tested measurement invariance by gender for aggression measures. Analyses invoked baseline data only. Physical and psychological TDV perpetration measures achieved strict measurement invariance, while bullying perpetration demonstrated partial strict invariance. Electronic TDV and sexual harassment perpetration achieved metric/scalar invariance. Study findings lend validation to prior and future studies using these measures with similar populations. Future research should increase attention to measurement development, refinement, and testing among study measures.
The combination of daclatasvir and sofosbuvir for curing genotype 2 patients who cannot tolerate ribavirin
Authors: Mangia Alessandra , Arleo Andrea , Copetti Massimiliano , Miscio Maria , Piazzolla Valeria , Santoro Rosanna , Squillante Maria Maddalena
Published: January 2016

Background

The current standard‐of‐care for treatment of HCV genotype 2 (GT‐2) patients is the combination of sofosbuvir (SOF) with weight‐based ribavirin (RBV). Patients with HCV GT‐2 infection and ribavirin contraindications require the use of SOF plus NS5A inhibitor daclatasvir (DCV) which is not reimbursed everywhere.

Methods

We conducted an open‐label observational, prospective study on a subgroup of GT‐2 patients either naïve or treatment experienced (TE) with contraindications to the use of RBV. Patients with cirrhosis of Child–Pugh–Turcotte (CPT) class A and B or advanced fibrosis with comorbidities were included. They were assigned to receive 12 or 24 weeks of SOF/DCV. The primary end point of the study was sustained virological response (SVR) defined as HCV RNA levels <12 IU/ml, 12 weeks post treatment.

Results

Out of 106 patients with GT‐2 who received treatment at our unit from July 2014 to June 2015, 20 (18.8%) patients, whose treatment could not be deferred, were ribavirin intolerant; 19 received SOF/DCV combination for 12 or 24 weeks. The majority of the patients was men, 58% had cirrhosis, and 58% were TE. All treated patients achieved SVR regardless of treatment duration. The most common adverse events (AEs) were fatigue, headache and nausea. No discontinuations due to AEs were observed. Two patients had oesophageal bleeding but continued treatment and achieved SVR; one patient developed HCC 12 weeks post treatment, but remained HCV RNA undetectable.

Conclusions

This study supports the use of SOF/DCV for 12 weeks in non‐cirrhotics or 24 weeks in cirrhotic GT‐2 patients who cannot tolerate RBV, including those with decompensated disease.
Distribution of individual members of the mosquito Anopheles maculipennis complex in Germany identified by newly developed real‐time PCR assays
Authors: LÜHKEN R. , CZAJKA C. , STEINKE S. , JÖST H. , SCHMIDT‐CHANASIT J. , PFITZNER W. , BECKER N. , KIEL E. , KRÜGER A. , TANNICH E.
Published: January 2016

Owing to their role as vectors of malaria parasites, species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (Diptera: Culicidae) Meigen were intensively studied in the past, but with the disappearance of malaria in Germany in the middle of the last century, the interest in this field of research declined. A comprehensive ecological analysis of the current species distribution for Germany is lacking.

Between 2010 and 2013, a total of 1445 mosquitoes of the An. maculipennis complex were collected at 72 different sites in Germany. The samples comprise 722 single individuals as well as 723 individuals in 90 pools of up to 25 mosquitoes. All samples were analysed with newly developed species‐specific qPCR assays for the identification of the four German species using nucleotide differences within the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) ribosomal DNA. All gathered data were used for species distribution modelling.

The overall prevalence of An. messeae s.l. was highest with 98.89% of all pools; An. daciae with 6.93% of all individuals and An. messeae s.s. with 69.53%. The prevalence of the other two species was relatively low: An. maculipennis s.s. with 13.30% of all individuals (6.67% of all pools) and An. atroparvus with 1.80% of all individuals (1.11% of all pools).
Axonal motor protein KIF5A and associated cargo deficits in multiple sclerosis lesional and normal‐appearing white matter
Authors: Hares K. , Redondo J. , Kemp K. , Rice C. , Scolding N. , Wilkins A.
Published: January 2016

Aims

Understanding the causes of axonal pathology remains a key goal in the pursuit of new therapies to target disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). Anterograde axonal transport of many proteins vital for axonal viability is mediated by the motor protein KIF5A, which has been linked to several neurological diseases. This study aimed to investigate the expression of KIF5A protein and its associated cargoes: amyloid precursor protein (APP) and neurofilament (NF) in post mortem MS and control white matter (WM) and to determine if KIF5A expression is influenced by the presence of MS risk single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in the region of the KIF5A gene.

Methods

Using immunoblotting assays we analysed the expression of KIF5A, APP and NF phospho‐isoforms in 23 MS cases and 12 controls.

Results

We found a significant reduction in KIF5A and associated cargoes in MS WM and an inverse correlation between KIF5A and APP/NF protein levels. Furthermore, homozygous carriers of MS risk gene SNPs show significantly lower levels of KIF5A protein compared to MS patients with no copies of the risk SNPs.

Conclusions

We conclude that reduced expression of axonal motor KIF5A may have important implications in determining axonal transport deficits and ongoing neurodegeneration in MS.
Gastric ghrelin, GOAT, leptin, and leptinR expression as well as peripheral serotonin are dysregulated in humans with obesity
Authors: Ritze Y. , Schollenberger A. , Hamze Sinno M. , Bühler N. , Böhle M. , Bárdos G. , Sauer H. , Mack I. , Enck P. , Zipfel S. , Meile T. , Königsrainer A. , Kramer M. , Bischoff S. C.
Published: January 2016

Background

Gastrointestinal hormone release and the regulation of appetite and body weight are thought to be dysbalanced in obesity. However, human data investigating the expression of gastrointestinal hormones in the obese are rare. We studied the expression of ghrelin, leptin, and the serotonergic system in stomach tissue and serum of obese and non‐obese individuals.

Methods

Gastric tissue and serum were collected from 29 adult obese (BMI 48.7 ± 10.6 kg/m2; mean ± SD) who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Gastric biopsies, surgery specimen or serum was obtained from 35 adult non‐obese humans (BMI 22.7 ± 1.9 kg/m2). Ghrelin, ghrelin O‐acyl transferase (GOAT), leptin, leptin receptor, and tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) mRNA expression were measured by qRT‐PCR. Serotonin (5HT) and leptin protein concentration were quantified in tissue extracts and serum; GOAT and ghrelin‐positive cells were immunohistologically quantified in tissue. Additionally, 21 blood immune markers were analyzed.

Key Results

In gastric tissue, GOAT‐positive cells were reduced (p < 0.01), but ghrelin‐positive cells and mRNA were increased (both p < 0.05) in obese compared with non‐obese individuals. Gastric leptin (p < 0.001) and leptin receptor (p < 0.001) mRNA expression, as well as leptin concentrations in serum (p < 0.001), were increased in obese compared with non‐obese individuals. Serum 5HT was reduced (p < 0.05), while tissue 5HT and TPH1 mRNA were reduced only by trend. Interleukin 1 receptor a (IL1Ra), IL‐8, IL‐12, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (IL1Ra) were increased and IL1Ra correlated negatively with serum leptin.

Conclusions & Inferences

Our data indicate that obesity causes a dysregulation of gastrointestinal hormones at the tissue level and serum, including a negative correlation with an increased marker of subclinical inflammation.
Oral leukoplakia—to treat or not to treat
Authors: Holmstrup P , Dabelsteen E
Published: January 2016

Various treatment modalities have been described for reducing or eliminating malignant development of oral leukoplakia, but no treatment has gained universal approval due to lack of randomized clinical studies. At present, it is uncertain whether we can do harm to the patients by treating or by not treating them. An essential aspect is the observation of cancer development even after surgical removal of the clinical lesions. Inadequate resection of the lesions or field cancerization may account for this phenomenon. Another challenge is whether surgical removal of the lesions in fact is associated with a cancer promotional effect resulting in increased risk of cancer. Moreover, unidentified existing cancer in non‐suspicious oral leukoplakias may for diagnostic purposes imply that surgical removal is recommendable as well as serial section of all excised tissue. Intensive follow‐up programmes for leukoplakias are important, independent of surgical intervention.
Single‐center assessment of nutritional counseling in preventing excessive weight gain in pediatric renal transplants recipients
Authors: Cameron Camilla , Krmar Rafael T.
Published: January 2016

Post‐transplantation obesity is a common complication that is associated with a higher risk for decreased allograft function and hypertension. However, the role of diet intervention on reducing post‐transplantation obesity is relatively unknown. We investigated the clinical relevance of dietary counseling on the prevalence of overweight/obesity during the first two yr following renal transplantation. The computerized patient records of 42 recipients (31 males) aged 6.3 ± 4.8 yr at transplantation were reviewed. All patients systematically underwent yearly dietary assessment/counseling (motivational interviewing technique) and measurement of renal function and ABPM. At transplantation, 14.2% of patients were overweight/obese, which increased to 42.8% by two yr post‐transplantation (p = 0.004). The majority of patients experienced a significant increase in BMI SDS during the first six months post‐transplantation that remained sustained throughout the duration of the follow‐up period (p = 0.001). By two yr post‐transplantation, there were no observable differences between patients classified as having normal BMI or being overweight/obese with regard to renal function and controlled hypertension. The application of yearly tailored dietary assessment/counseling had a poor effect on preventing post‐transplantation weight gain, suggesting the need for more comprehensive interventions to reduce post‐transplant obesity.
Actinic Prurigo in Singaporean Chinese: A Positive Association with HLA‐DRB1*03:01
Authors: Chen Qiping , Shen Meixin , Heng Yee Kiat , Theng Thiam Seng Colin , Tey Hong Liang , Ren Ee Chee , Chong Wei‐Sheng
Published: January 2016

Studies have reported the association of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes with susceptibility to develop actinic prurigo (AP) in Caucasians, but there were no studies in Asian populations, including the Chinese. Our study was performed to determine if AP is associated with susceptibility or protective HLA alleles or haplotypes in Singaporean Chinese. All Chinese patients diagnosed with AP at National Skin Center, Singapore, from January 2002 to April 2015 were invited to participate in the study. Clinical data and phototesting results were collated, and HLA typing was performed. Among 14 patients included, 11 were male and the mean age was 49.6 (37.9–61.3) years. All patients did not have a family history of AP and none had mucosal involvement, as such these clinical features differed from Caucasian AP patients. The frequency of DRB1*03:01 in AP patients was significantly higher compared to healthy controls (43% vs 16%, P = 0.022, odds ratio (OR) 3.89). Concurrently, the frequency of HLA‐B*58:01‐DRB1*03:01 haplotype was also significantly increased (25% vs 7%, P = 0.004, OR 4.23). In conclusion, HLA‐DRB1*03:01 was associated with AP in Singaporean Chinese patients. This novel allelic association may possibly be utilized as a biological marker to aid in the diagnosis of AP in Chinese patients.
Shifts from specialised to generalised pollination systems in Miconieae (Melastomataceae) and their relation with anther morphology and seed number
Authors: Brito V. L. G. , Fendrich T. G. , Smidt E. C. , Varassin I. G. , Goldenberg R.
Published: January 2016

Most species in Melastomataceae have poricidal anthers related to specialised bee buzz‐pollination, while some have anthers with large openings associated to non‐bee pollination systems. We tracked the evolution of anther morphology and seed number on the Miconieae phylogenetic tree to understand the evolutionary shifts in such pollination systems. Anther morphometric data and seed number were recorded for 54 taxa. Pollinators (bees, flies, wasps) were recorded for 20 available species. Ancestral state reconstruction was made using Maximum Likelihood from nrITS sequences. We used phylogenetic eigenvector regressions to estimate phylogenetic signal and the adaptive component for these traits. Species pollinated by bees or bees and wasps tend to have smaller pores and fruits with more seeds. Species pollinated by flies or flies and bees and/or wasps tend to have larger pores and fruits with less seeds. Independent evolution occurred three times for anthers with large pores and twice for fruits with few seeds. We detected a phylogenetic signal in both traits, and negative correlated evolution between them. In actinomorphic small‐flowered Miconieae, changes in anther morphology can be related to generalisation in the pollination system incorporating flies and wasps as pollinators and lessening the importance of buzzing bees in such process. Differences in pollen removal and deposition may explain differences in anther morphology and seed number in Miconieae.
Examining the N400m in affectively negative sentences: A magnetoencephalography study
Authors: Parkes Linden , Perry Conrad , Goodin Peter
Published: January 2016

Magnetoencephalography was used to examine the effect on the N400m of reading words that create emotional violations in sentences. The beginnings of the sentences were affectively negative and were completed with either a negative congruous, positive incongruous, or neutral incongruous adjective (e.g., “My mother was killed and I felt bad/great/normal”). The task conditions were also manipulated to favor semantic over affective processing. Compared to the sentences with the congruous negative adjectives, the results of sensor space analysis showed that there was an N400m effect with the sentences with the neutral but not positive adjectives, despite both types of sentences containing an emotional violation. Source localization results showed a similar pattern where the sentences with the incongruous positive versus congruous negative adjectives showed no significant N400m effect in the temporal and frontal areas examined, but the sentences with the incongruous neutral versus incongruous positive adjectives in the temporal areas did, particularly the left middle temporal gyrus. These results suggest that (a) the N400m effect was likely to be caused by the incongruous neutral adjectives being comparatively harder to integrate into a negative emotional context than the incongruous positive ones, (b) emotional context created by the negative sentence stems caused deeper semantic processing of the incongruous positive adjectives to be bypassed, and (c) negative affective context was generated from reading the sentences even in task conditions where it has not been generated with isolated words.
Early and late selection modulate competition for representation: Evidence from the N2pc in a multiple frame procedure
Authors: Aubin Sébrina , Jolicoeur Pierre
Published: January 2016

In this study, both bottom‐up and top‐down influences on processes of visual attention deployment are tested by examining the interaction between the similarity of a salient distractor to a salient target and the physical distance separating attended items in the visual field. Distractor‐target similarity was varied both on a semantic and a physical level. Additionally, across experiments, the similarity of the salient items could vary in form, color, or both. Three experiments identified interactive relationships between these factors on the amplitude and the latency of N2pc, an ERP associated to the deployment of visuospatial attention. Results show the influence of both early form‐based selection and late identification‐based selection processes on the N2pc. Furthermore, selection processes appear to be dependent on the spatial proximity of the attended items, suggesting that some processes may operate on a local spatial scale.
Deception detection with behavioral, autonomic, and neural measures: Conceptual and methodological considerations that warrant modesty
Authors: Meijer Ewout H. , Verschuere Bruno , Gamer Matthias , Merckelbach Harald , Ben‐Shakhar Gershon
Published: January 2016

The detection of deception has attracted increased attention among psychological researchers, legal scholars, and ethicists during the last decade. Much of this has been driven by the possibility of using neuroimaging techniques for lie detection. Yet, neuroimaging studies addressing deception detection are clouded by lack of conceptual clarity and a host of methodological problems that are not unique to neuroimaging. We review the various research paradigms and the dependent measures that have been adopted to study deception and its detection. In doing so, we differentiate between basic research designed to shed light on the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying deceptive behavior and applied research aimed at detecting lies. We also stress the distinction between paradigms attempting to detect deception directly and those attempting to establish involvement by detecting crime‐related knowledge, and discuss the methodological difficulties and threats to validity associated with each paradigm. Our conclusion is that the main challenge of future research is to find paradigms that can isolate cognitive factors associated with deception, rather than the discovery of a unique (brain) correlate of lying. We argue that the Comparison Question Test currently applied in many countries has weak scientific validity, which cannot be remedied by using neuroimaging measures. Other paradigms are promising, but the absence of data from ecologically valid studies poses a challenge for legal admissibility of their outcomes.
The merits of artificial selection for the development of restoration‐ready plant materials of native perennial grasses
Authors: Chivers Ian H. , Jones Thomas A. , Broadhurst Linda M. , Mott Ivan W. , Larson Steve R.
Published: January 2016

Although seed harvested from remnant, wildland perennial‐grass populations can be used for restoration in humid and subhumid temperate regions, seed harvested in semiarid and arid environments is often of low quality and highly variable in quantity. In addition, ongoing harvest of indigenous populations can be unsustainable, especially for those that are small. In such environments, dependable and repeatable broad‐scale restoration of degraded grasslands requires sufficient and consistent supplies of reliable, cost‐effective seed sources that can only result from intensively managed cultivated stands. But does the harvest of intensively managed seed‐production fields inadvertently compromise genetic diversity, thereby adversely affecting the restoration outcome? That is, are seed‐production systems a part of the solution for restoration, or do they create new unintended management issues? This article discusses the potential impacts of cultivated seed‐production systems and recurrent artificial selection for specific traits on genetic integrity and performance of native‐species perennial‐grass populations. Although genetic shift resulting from cultivated perennial‐grass seed production may be inevitable, genetic shifts that change phenological expression may be limited in genotypes that exhibit high seed retention. Artificial selection can improve plant material performance on the often‐harsh conditions of restoration sites, but sufficiently high‐effective population sizes (Ne) must be maintained to conserve genetic diversity, thereby precluding the inbreeding depression that can compromise plant performance. Potentially useful traits of native perennial‐grass species that respond to artificial selection include seed production, seed retention, seedling establishment, competitive ability against weeds, and herbicide tolerance. Potential trade‐offs between traits should also be considered to avoid undesirable inadvertent responses to selection.
Can pollination syndromes indicate ecological restoration success in tropical forests?
Authors: Martins Rafael , Antonini Yasmine
Published: January 2016

We evaluated the pollination syndromes of plant species occurring in revegetated patches of riparian Atlantic Forest in order to evaluate the success of restoration process. Between March 2013 and January 2014, the floral traits of all of the flowering plants found in, among four restoration sites of different ages and one reference site, were recorded and used to characterize pollination syndromes. Richness, abundance, and composition of pollination syndromes were related to season, age and width of the forest fragment, species richness and abundance of sampled plants, and also to the quality of the surrounding matrix. There were differences in the composition of syndromes among sampling units and among seasons. Richness and abundance of pollination syndromes varied among climatic periods, the highest values occurred at the end of the dry season and the start of the rainy season. Older, wider, and areas with more plants had higher values of richness and abundance of syndromes. The quality of the surrounding matrix influences only the richness of syndromes. It was concluded that floral traits are good indicators of ecological restoration of riparian forests and that the surrounding matrix contributes to the greater richness of syndromes. However, when planning for active restoration, attention should be given to the proper choice of plant species on the basis of pollination syndromes that should attract pollinators.
From Avvakum to Dostoevsky: Varlam Shalamov and Russian Narratives of Political Imprisonment
Authors: KLOTS YASHA
Published: January 2016

This paper explores the synthesis of fictional and documentary techniques in Shalamov’s Kolyma Tales seen through the prism of Dostoevsky’s nineteenth‐century novel The House of the Dead. It argues that it was Dostoevsky’s oscillation between fiction and reportage, rather than the subject matter of his novel, that defines the complexity of Shalamov’s relationships with the classic. After a brief discussion of various strategies of reading The House of the Dead in the Gulag, the paper concludes by outlining Dostoevsky’s role in the literary polemics between Shalamov and Solzhenitsyn, two writers who went far beyond the confines of the memoir genre, albeit in opposite directions and along different paths.
Literary Borrowing in the Work of N. S. Leskov: A Case Study of The Spendthrift
Authors: KUCHERSKAYA MAYA
Published: January 2016

Leskov researchers have often and justifiably focused on the influence of Old Russian literature and folklore in his prose. However, nineteenth‐century Russian literature is equally essential to his work. Leskov often borrowed plot devices, images, and names from his contemporaries; these aspects of his work, namely his “intertextuality” and literature‐centrism are underappreciated. This paper demonstrates this aspect of his poetics using his play The Spendthrift, showing that The Spendthrift presents a combination of allusions to nineteenth‐century works including Griboedov’s Woe From Wit, Gogol’s The Inspector General, Ostrovsky’s Krechinsky’s Wedding and Sukovo‐Kobylin’s The Case. Using the terminology of postmodernism, the term “pastiche” may rightfully be applied to Leskov’s play. Whereas in postmodern art, pastiche is the result of the author's frustration with everything already having been written, Leskov uses others’ texts for polemical purposes with the intention of formulating his own literary position.
Defining the shelf edge and the three‐dimensional shelf edge to slope facies variability in shelf‐edge deltas
Authors: Laugier Fabien J. , Plink‐Björklund Piret
Published: January 2016

Shelf‐edge deltas play a critical role in shelf‐margin accretion and deepwater sediment delivery, yet much remains to be understood about the detailed linkage between shelf edge and slope sedimentation. The shelf edge separates the flat‐lying shelf from steeper slope regions, and is observable in seismic data and continuous outcrops; however, it is commonly obscured in non‐continuous outcrops. Defining this zone is essential because it segregates areas dominated by shelf currents from those governed by gravity‐driven processes. Understanding this linkage is paramount for predicting and characterizing associated deepwater reservoirs. In the Tanqua Karoo Basin, the Permian Kookfontein Formation shelf‐slope clinothems are well‐exposed for 21 km along depositional strike and dip. Two independent methods identified the shelf‐edge position, indicating that it is defined by: (i) a transition from predominantly shelf‐current to gravitational deposits; (ii) an increase in soft‐sediment deformation; (iii) a significant gradient increase; and (iv) clinothem thickening. A quantitative approach was used to assess the impact of process‐regime variability along the shelf edge on downslope sedimentation. Facies proportions were quantified from sedimentary logs and photographic panels, and integrated with mapped key surfaces to construct a stratigraphic grid. Spatial variability in facies proportions highlights two types of shelf‐edge depositional zones within the same shelf‐edge delta. Where deposition occurred in fluvial‐dominated zones, the slope is sand rich, channelized with channels widening downslope, and rich in collapse features. Where deltaic deposits indicate considerable tidal reworking, the deposits are thin and pinch‐out close to the shelf edge, and the slope is sand poor and lacks channelization. Amplification of tidal energy, and decrease in fluvial drive on the shelf, coincides with a decrease in mouth bar and shelf‐edge collapse, and a lack of channelization on the slope. This analysis suggests that process‐regime variability along the shelf edge exercised significant control on shelf‐edge progradation, slope channelization and deepwater sediment delivery.
Effect of Variation of Link Lengths and Stiffness on the Gearing Ratio of a Four Bar Mechanism With Application to Aircraft Trim Tabs
Authors: Dessalegn Abey , Yihun Yimesker , Flores Fernandes Joao Paulo , Lankarani Hamid M.
Published: January 2016

Kinematic chains or mechanisms have conventionally been analyzed comprising of links that behave as rigid members and links assumed to be built at nominal sizes. Such mechanisms, articulating entirely from rigid-body translations and/or rotations and nominally established links may not closely represent the actual real life manufactured parts with tolerances and joint clearances. It is important to identify the allowable variations in the linkages especially when the end-effector of the mechanism generates a path or a function and/or a tightly controlled gearing ratio or mechanical advantage is required. In this study, the band of solutions that can be obtained from the variation in lengths of linkages and the effect of stiffness is generated to better understand the quality of the mechanism performance. The application of four bar mechanism in an aileron trim tab system that utilizes a rotatory actuator to move the tab surface is used to demonstrate the band of solutions. Then CATIA V5 is used to layout the geometry and design the linkages within the prescribed airfoil. The MSC Adams is used to calculate the initial gearing ratio and for validation of values. A Matlab®code is developed and used to analyze the effects of the variation of lengths and stiffness of linkages on the tab speed using closed form algebraic solution. Finally, a comparison is made to illustrate and quantify the effects of link lengths and stiffness on the gearing ratio/mechanical advantage of the system.
Kinematics of a Novel Type Positioning Table for Cast Alignment on Machine Tool
Authors: Myszkowski Adam , Bartkowiak Tomasz , Gessner Andrzej
Published: January 2016

The paper presents a study into the kinematics of a novel type of a rotary positioning table based on the constrained parallel mechanism. Fixture and leveling a workpiece on a machine tool table is an essential stage in machining or layout process. In this study, a compact low-height rotary table is presented for automated leveling, which can be mounted directly on the machine tool table without a significant decrease of the workspace. The authors propose a modification of parallel mechanism by introducing four extensible leg design with specific geometrical constraint for workpiece positioning and in order to achieve higher rigidness. The table is driven by four hydraulic linear actuators which are integrated in the linkages. The designed model allows to rotate the table about the sphere center about three independent axis. Procedures using meta-heuristic methods were implemented to optimize the geometrical dimensions of the entire mechanism for the required workspace.
Hierarchical Primitive Surface Classification From Triangulated Solids for Defining Part-to-Part Degrees of Freedom
Authors: Rafibakhsh Nima , Campbell Matthew I.
Published: January 2016

Mesh segmentation is the process of organizing a set of data points into connected areas defined by known surface primitives or surface equations. Our approach is a hierarchical method based on clustering and Mamdani’s fuzzification system. First, a clustering algorithm is used to isolate regions of small and irregular oriented triangles, which make up a large portion of the total polygonal faces. Then, using fuzzification rule sets, the remaining triangles are made into meaningful primitives: cylinder, cone, sphere and flat. The end goal of this work is to use the primitives to define the degrees of freedom between mating parts in an assembly when such information is unknown or lost. The result of this process has proven to be accurate with well-defined borders with no need of additional post-processing steps.
B-Spline Based Robust Topology Optimization
Authors: Gu Yu , Qian Xiaoping
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we present an extension of the B-spline based density representation to a robust formulation of topology optimization. In our B-spline based topology optimization approach, we use separate representations for material density distribution and analysis. B-splines are used as a representation of density and the usual finite elements are used for analysis. The density undergoes a Heaviside projection to reduce the grayness in the optimized structures. To ensure minimal length control so the resulting designs are robust with respect to manufacturing imprecision, we adopt a three-structure formulation during the optimization. That is, dilated, intermediate and eroded designs are used in the optimization formulation. We give an analytical description of minimal length of features in optimized designs. Numerical examples have been implemented on three common topology optimization problems: minimal compliance, heat conduction and compliant mechanism. They demonstrate that the proposed approach is effective in generating designs with crisp black/white transition and is accurate in minimal length control.
The Graded Origami Structures
Authors: Xie Ruikang , Li Jianmin , Chen Yan
Published: January 2016

There are many excellent graded structures existing in nature to optimize the mechanical properties in various load situations by adjusting the distribution of materials. In this research, rigid origami and graded structure concept are combined together to form the graded origami structures. Seven methods are proposed, including changing the length of crease lines, changing the sector angle, changing the number of units, and the combinations of them. Two rigid origami patterns, Miura-ori and Arc-Miura, are chosen to generate the graded origami structures, and the geometric parameters of each pattern are studied. For engineering application, quasi-static three-point bending response of sandwich beams with graded Miura-ori core based on changing the number of units and changing both the length of crease lines and the sector angle is explored. The investigation reveals that sandwich beams with graded Miura-ori core have preferable energy absorption capability in this load situation compared with the normal Miura-ori core.
Integrated Forming, Welding and Crash Simulations for an Aluminum Crash Management System
Authors: Tang Xinxin , Fjær Hallvard G.
Published: January 2016

Simulations of production by forming and welding, and crash testing of an aluminum crash management system have been carried out. A numerical tool/interface is also developed for modeling, simulating and evaluating the material flow, the design concepts and fabrication processes continually, accurately and fast.

In the present paper, the fabrication processes of the Audi A1 crash management system are studied. The system consists of a stretch-bent extruded beam, a towing nut, two extruded crash tubes and two plates that are welded together.

In order to perform analyses efficiently, this study employed a common set of solid elements for modeling the forming, welding and crash processes.

The forming simulation has been performed in IMPETUS Afea Solver. The solid elements have been transferred flexible from coarse single order elements into the fine higher order elements in different stages of the design. In this way, it is possible to quickly capture the key concepts of the tool design, and to ensure that the details of the product and the requirements of the tooling can be correctly predicted. The welding simulation has been performed in Weldsim. It combines a thermal, a mechanical and a metallurgical model. The thermal history, the welding deformations, the hardness and the microstructure distribution, the residual stresses and the distortions in the system are evaluated after a welding simulation. Through the welding simulation, the effect of the welding fixtures and the welding heat input can be assessed.

Result fields from the welding simulation include the yield stress varying through the heat affected zones. This result field is imported to and applied in the crash simulation.

Crash simulation is carried out with the information of changes in material performance caused by the welding heat.

Through a crash simulation the ability of the system to perform correct deformation and fracture modes is verified.
Dynamics of Space Deployable Structures
Authors: Tian Qiang , Zhao Jiang , Liu Cheng , Zhou Chunyan , Hu Haiyan
Published: January 2016

The space industry is eager to have the advanced technology of large space structures composed of trusses, cables and meshes. These space structures will deploy on orbit for different space missions. The important scientific basis of the technology is the nonlinear dynamic modeling, analysis and control of those space structures during their deployment and service. In this study, many space deployable structures (such as satellites antenna and spinning solar sail) are described by using the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF), and the huge set of equations of motion are solve by high efficient parallel generalized-alpha method. Some numerical results are also validated by experiment results.
Micromechanical Modeling of Connective Soft Tissues
Authors: Fallah Ali , Ahmadian Mohammad Taghi , Firoozbakhsh Keikhosrow
Published: January 2016

In this paper, a physically motivated micromechanical model for connective soft tissues like tendon and ligament is presented. A representative volume element (RVE) is introduced based on the crimped pattern of collagen fiber in the tissue. In order to investigate the macroscopic behavior of tissue, numerical homogenization and appropriate periodic boundary conditions are used. Neglecting the effects of nano scale structures and properties on tissues macroscopic behavior leads to linear transversely isotropic model for collagen fibers. Comparison of obtained result with available experimental one, shows that this assumption leads to inaccurate results. Including the effects of nano scale structures into the presented model leads to a nonlinear transversely isotropic constitutive model for collagen fibers which leads to results that are in good agreement with experimental results.
Reliability Analysis for Multidisciplinary Systems Involving Stationary Stochastic Processes
Authors: Zhu Zhifu , Hu Zhen , Du Xiaoping
Published: January 2016

The response of a component in a multidisciplinary system is affected by not only the discipline to which it belongs, but also by other disciplines of the system. If any components are subject to time-dependent uncertainties, responses of all the components and the system are also time dependent. Thus, time-dependent multidisciplinary reliability analysis is required. To extend the current time-dependent reliability analysis for a single component, this work develops a time-dependent multidisciplinary reliability method for components in a multidisciplinary system under stationary stochastic processes. The method modifies the First and Second Order Reliability Methods (FORM and SORM) so that the Multidisciplinary Analysis (MDA) is incorporated while approximating the limit-state function of the component under consideration. Then Monte Carlo simulation is used to calculate the reliability without calling the original limit-state function. Two examples are used to demonstrate and evaluate the proposed method.