bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spinal surgery complications: an unsolved problem—Is the World Health Organization Safety Surgical Checklist an useful tool to reduce them?
Authors: Barbanti-Brodano Giovanni , Griffoni Cristiana , Halme Jarkko , Tedesco Giuseppe , Terzi Silvia , Bandiera Stefano , Ghermandi Riccardo , Evangelisti Gisberto , Girolami Marco , Pipola Valerio , Gasbarrini Alessandro , Falavigna Asdrubal
Published: November 2019

Purpose

To investigate whether the World Health Organization Safety Surgical Checklist (SSC) is an effective tool to reduce complications in spinal surgery.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and radiological charts prospectively collected from patients who underwent a spinal surgery procedure from January 2010 to December 2012. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of complications between two periods, from January to December 2010 (without checklist) and from January 2011 and December 2012 (with checklist), in order to assess the checklist’s effectiveness.

Results

The sample size was 917 patients with an average of 30-month follow-up. The mean age was 52.88 years. The majority of procedures were performed for oncological diseases (54.4%) and degenerative diseases (39.8%). In total, 159 complications were detected (17.3%). The overall incidence of complications for trauma, infectious pathology, oncology, and degenerative disease was 22.2%, 19.2%, 18.4%, and 15.3%, respectively. No correlation was observed between the type of pathology and the complication incidence. We observed a reduction in the overall incidence of complications following the introduction of the SSC: In 2010 without checklist, the incidence of complications was 24.2%, while in 2011 and 2012, following the checklist introduction, the incidence of complications was 16.7% and 11.7%, respectively (mean 14.2%).

Conclusions

The SSC seems to be an effective tool to reduce complications in spinal surgery. We propose to extend the use of checklist system also to the preoperative and postoperative phases in order to further reduce the incidence of complications.

Graphic abstract

These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
Sleep symptoms and long-term outcome in adolescents with major depressive disorder: a naturalistic follow-up study
Authors:   The Adolescent Depression Study Group, Urrila Anna S. , Kiviruusu Olli , Haravuori Henna , Karlsson Linnea , Viertiö Satu , Suvisaari Jaana , Marttunen Mauri
Published: November 2019

Sleep abnormalities in major depressive disorder (MDD) have been suggested to represent a vulnerability trait, which might predispose the individual to long-term psychiatric morbidity. In this study, we sought to assess whether the presence of sleep symptoms among adolescents with MDD is associated with poorer long-term outcome in young adulthood during naturalistic follow-up. Adolescent outpatients diagnosed with MDD (n = 166; age 13–19 years, 17.5% boys) were followed up during 8 years in naturalistic settings. N = 112 adolescents (16.1% boys) completed the 8-year assessment. Sleep symptoms and psychosocial functioning were assessed with structured clinical interviews, and depressive and anxiety symptoms with questionnaires. The severity of sleep symptoms at baseline was not associated with worse outcome at 8 years in terms of any of the outcome measures tested. In particular, the presence of a disturbed sleep–wake rhythm at baseline was associated with a more favourable outcome at 8 years: less depression and anxiety symptoms and higher level of psychosocial functioning. The presence of sleep symptoms in young adulthood was associated with the presence of current depression and anxiety symptoms and poorer psychosocial functioning. The presence of sleep symptoms at follow-up seems to be state-dependent: they are observed in conjunction with other psychiatric symptoms. Contrary to our hypothesis, our results suggest that sleep complaints among adolescents with MDD do not lead to poorer long-term clinical outcome in young adulthood. The link between sleep–wake rhythm disturbance and better long-term outcome needs to be confirmed and examined in detail in further studies, but here we speculate about possible explanations.
The added value of the selective SuperPolymyxin™ medium in detecting rectal carriage of Gram-negative bacteria with acquired colistin resistance in intensive care unit patients receiving selective digestive decontamination
Authors: van Hout Denise , Janssen Axel B. , Rentenaar Rob J. , Vlooswijk Judith P.M. , Boel C.H. Edwin , Bonten Marc J.M.
Published: November 2019

The objective of this study was to determine the value of using SuperPolymyxin™ selective medium (ELITech Group, Puteaux, France) in addition to conventional non-selective inoculation methods in the detection of acquired colistin resistance in a Dutch intensive care unit (ICU) that routinely uses selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD). We performed a cross-sectional study with prospective data collection in a tertiary-care ICU. All consecutive surveillance rectal swabs of ICU-patients receiving SDD were included and cultured in an observer-blinded approach using (1) a conventional culture method using non-selective media and (2) SuperPolymyxin™ selective medium. MIC values for colistin of non-intrinsically colistin-resistant Gram-negative isolates were determined with broth microdilution (BMD) using Sensititre™ and colistin resistance was confirmed using BMD according to EUCAST guidelines. One thousand one hundred five rectal swabs of 428 unique ICU-patients were inoculated using both culture methods, yielding 346 and 84 Gram-negative isolates for BMD testing with the conventional method and SuperPolymyxin™ medium, of which 308 and 80 underwent BMD, respectively. The number of identified rectal carriers of isolates with acquired colistin resistance was 3 (0.7%) for the conventional method, 4 (0.9%) for SuperPolymyxin™, and 5 (1.2%) for both methods combined. The number of isolates with acquired colistin resistance was 4 (1.0%) for the conventional method, 8 (2.1%) for SuperPolymyxin™ and 9 (2.3%) for both methods combined. In a surveillance setting of low prevalence of acquired colistin resistance in patients that receive SDD in a Dutch tertiary-care ICU, SuperPolymyxin™ had a higher diagnostic yield than conventional inoculation methods, but the combination of both had the highest diagnostic yield.
Validation of Emission Spectroscopy Gas Temperature Measurements Using a Standard Flame Traceable to the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90)
Authors: Sutton Gavin , Fateev Alexander , Rodríguez-Conejo Miguel A. , Meléndez Juan , Guarnizo Guillermo
Published: November 2019

Accurate measurement of post-flame temperatures can significantly improve combustion efficiency and reduce harmful emissions, for example, during the development phase of new internal combustion engines and gas turbine combustors. Non-perturbing optical diagnostic techniques are capable of measuring temperatures in such environments but are often technically complex and validation is challenging, with correspondingly large uncertainties, often as large as 2 % to 5 % of temperature. This work aims to reduce these uncertainties by developing a portable flame temperature standard, calibrated via the Rayleigh scattering thermometry technique, traceable to ITS-90, with an uncertainty of 0.5 % of temperature (k = 1). By suitable burner selection and accurate gas flow control, a stable, square, flat flame with uniform post-flame species and temperature is realised. Following development, the standard flame is used to validate two IR emission spectroscopy systems, both measuring the line-integrated emission spectra in the post-flame region. The first utilises a Hyperspectral imaging FTIR spectrometer capable of measuring 2D species and temperature maps and the second, a high-precision single line-of-sight FTIR spectrometer. In the central post-flame region, the agreement between the Rayleigh and FTIR temperatures is within the combined measurement uncertainties and amounts to 1 % (k = 1) of temperature.
What moderates the attainment gap? The effects of social identity incompatibility and practical incompatibility on the performance of students who are or are not Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic
Authors: Frings Daniel , Gleibs Ilka H. , Ridley Anne M.
Published: November 2019

A successful journey through higher education is, for many, a once in a lifetime opportunity for social mobility. Unfortunately, one notable feature of higher education systems is that students from some backgrounds do not achieve the same academic attainments as do others. The current study tests the role of one particular set of processes: social identity (in)compatibility on academic performance. Participants were recruited at two time points from a pool of first year undergraduates at a modern London University (N = 215) of which 40.1% were classed as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME), 57.1% as non-BAME and 2.8% did not provide this information. A prospective design was employed: Alongside demographic data, measures at the start of the academic year consisted of measures of student and ethnic identity, and both practical and identity incompatibility. At the end of the academic year, average marks achieved were gained for each student from the university’s registry system. Results indicate that BAME students had equal levels of student identity to non-BAME students, but higher levels of ethnic identity. They also typically experienced higher levels of both practical and identity incompatibility. Finally, BAME students had lower attainment than did non-BAME students. Both practical and identity incompatibility appeared to moderate this effect. However, contrary to predictions, it was only under conditions of low and medium levels of incompatibility that BAME students attained lower marks than their non-BAME peers. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Discriminative Characteristics of Marginalised Novel Psychoactive Users: a Transnational Study
Authors: Felvinczi Katalin , Benschop Annemieke , Urbán Róbert , Van Hout Marie Claire , Dąbrowska Katarzyna , Hearne Evelyn , Henriques Susana , Kaló Zsuzsa , Kamphausen Gerrit , Silva Joana Paula , Wieczorek Łukasz , Werse Bernd , Bujalski Michal , Demetrovics Zsolt , Korf Dirk
Published: November 2019

New psychoactive substances (NPS) continue to be considered as a major public health concern in many European countries. The study was implemented within the framework of a transnational project of six European countries (Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal). Our aim here is to report on the distinct and differentiating characteristics of marginalised NPS users. Three subgroups of a total of 3023 adult NPS users (socially marginalised, night life, online community) were examined regarding their socio-demographic characteristics, substance use, and external motives towards NPS use. Poland and Hungary reported higher rates of NPS use in comparison to traditional controlled drugs. The external/contextual motives did not play a central role in the background of NPS use, the least important motives were alleged legality and non-detectability of these substances. Marginalised (defined as those accessing low threshold harm reduction services) users’ substance use patterns are different from the other two groups in terms of showing more intense and riskier drug use. The most important variables which contributed to be categorised as a marginalised NPS user were lower level education, being older, having an unfavourable labour market position and using drugs intravenously. Contextual motives did not play a decisive role in being categorised as a marginalised user when drug use pattern was controlled. These identified discriminative features of marginalised drug users should inform policy makers to develop and implement tailor-made interventions targeting this user group to successfully tackle the elevated public health concerns associated with NPS use.
Prevalence of comorbidity in cancer patients scheduled for systemic anticancer treatment in Austria
Authors: Balic Marija , Hilbe Wolfgang , Gusel Sylvia , Fiegl Michael , Ludwig Heinz , Mayrbäurl Beate , Thaler Josef , Samonigg Hellmut , Hegenbarth Karin , Eisner Florian , Mlineritsch Brigitte , Greil Richard , Schandl Maria Johanna , Weltermann Ansgar , Petzer Andreas , Fuchs David , Stangl Wolfgang , Krippl Peter , Stauder Reinhard , Stöger Herbert
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this observational study was to determine the prevalence of comorbid conditions in cancer patients with solid tumours selected for specific treatment at 12 divisions of medical oncology in Austria. Data from 1137 patients were collected using a standardized questionnaire; of these, 1036 datasets were evaluable for further analysis. Data were prospectively collected from patients during an in- or outpatient hospital visit over a 4-month period in 2011. Of these patients 42% had gastrointestinal cancer, 31% had breast cancer, 9% lung cancer and the remaining had urogenital cancer, sarcoma or other types of rare cancers. Around two-thirds of patients had metastatic disease (59%), confined to a single organ site in 55% of patients. A high proportion of patients had a good performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] 0, 1: 82%). Comorbid conditions were classified according to the Charlson scheme score and were present in 86% of patients with a median age of 64 years. The predominant conditions were cardiovascular diseases (57%), metabolic diseases (44%), endocrinological diseases (30%), gastrointestinal diseases (26%), neurological (23%) and respiratory diseases (23%). As has been reported by others we found a clear association between number of comorbid conditions and age. While 60% of the whole population had at least 2 comorbidities, most patients of the elderly population (89%) had more than three comorbidities. The high proportion of patients with comorbidities and accompanying medication represents a substantial challenge for medical oncologists in selecting the optimal cancer-specific treatment especially in the era of novel targeted and immunotherapies. Comorbid conditions and accompanying comedications require special precautions concerning potential interactions and unexpected adverse reactions from prescribed tumour-specific treatment.
Oilfield metal naphthenate formation and mitigation measures: a review
Authors: Eke William Iheanyi , Victor-Oji Cynthia , Akaranta Onyewuchi
Published: November 2019

Process facilities for the separation of hydrocarbons from produced water in the oilfield are critical to flow assurance, product quality and environmental compliance. The formation of metal naphthenates, which are emulsion stabilizers and equipment foulers, is deleterious to performance and integrity of these processes and facilities. Manual removal of deposits of these organic salts formed at the oil–water interface during separation processes is difficult and expensive; hence, the best operational option is inhibition. The conventional method for the inhibition of metal naphthenates, which relies on suppressing the deprotonation of naphthenic acids by common ion effect, is no longer tenable because it exacerbates internal corrosion problems in topside facilities. Current industry focus is on the development of effective surface active agents for inhibition of naphthenates. There are a plethora of chemical compounds with naphthenate inhibition potential such as sulphonates, phosphate esters, aminated phosphonates and sulphosuccinates, but compatibility issues make the choice of inhibitor a complicated process. In this paper, the drivers and mechanism of oilfield metal naphthenate formation are reviewed. Surfactants for oilfield metal naphthenate inhibition and the mechanisms of inhibition are highlighted with a view to process optimization.
Investigation on cold-formed steel built-up new innovative hat-shaped closed section under bending
Authors: Manikandan P. , Ezhilan A.
Published: November 2019

The objective of this study is to make the experimental and finite element simulations of buckling behaviour of cold-formed steel (CFS) built-up hat-shaped closed section under simply supported end condition subjected to two-point loading. Numerical simulation is carried out using the software ABAQUS. The test result is compared with numerical results and good correlation is achieved. Next, for validation, a series of parametric studies are carried out using the validated numerical model, such as the effect of length, depth, width, thickness and angle of the inclined element. The local buckling and the interaction of local and flexural buckling are studied. To end with, a design equation is proposed in accordance with the direct strength method specification for CFS structure.
Blood Biomarker Profiling and Monitoring for High-Performance Physiology and Nutrition: Current Perspectives, Limitations and Recommendations
Authors: Pedlar Charles R. , Newell John , Lewis Nathan A.
Published: November 2019

Blood test data were traditionally confined to the clinic for diagnostic purposes, but are now becoming more routinely used in many professional and elite high-performance settings as a physiological profiling and monitoring tool. A wealth of information based on robust research evidence can be gleaned from blood tests, including: the identification of iron, vitamin or energy deficiency; the identification of oxidative stress and inflammation; and the status of red blood cell populations. Serial blood test data can be used to monitor athletes and make inferences about the efficacy of training interventions, nutritional strategies or indeed the capacity to tolerate training load. Via a profiling and monitoring approach, blood biomarker measurement combined with contextual data has the potential to help athletes avoid injury and illness via adjustments to diet, training load and recovery strategies. Since wide inter-individual variability exists in many biomarkers, clinical population-based reference data can be of limited value in athletes, and statistical methods for longitudinal data are required to identify meaningful changes within an athlete. Data quality is often compromised by poor pre-analytic controls in sport settings. The biotechnology industry is rapidly evolving, providing new technologies and methods, some of which may be well suited to athlete applications in the future. This review provides current perspectives, limitations and recommendations for sports science and sports medicine practitioners using blood profiling and monitoring for nutrition and performance purposes.
Nutrition and Athlete Bone Health
Authors: Sale Craig , Elliott-Sale Kirsty Jayne
Published: November 2019

Athletes should pay more attention to their bone health, whether this relates to their longer-term bone health (e.g. risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis) or their shorter-term risk of bony injuries. Perhaps the easiest way to do this would be to modify their training loads, although this advice rarely seems popular with coaches and athletes for obvious reasons. As such, other possibilities to support the athletes’ bone health need to be explored. Given that bone is a nutritionally modified tissue and diet has a significant influence on bone health across the lifespan, diet and nutritional composition seem like obvious candidates for manipulation. The nutritional requirements to support the skeleton during growth and development and during ageing are unlikely to be notably different between athletes and the general population, although there are some considerations of specific relevance, including energy availability, low carbohydrate availability, protein intake, vitamin D intake and dermal calcium and sodium losses. Energy availability is important for optimising bone health in the athlete, although normative energy balance targets are highly unrealistic for many athletes. The level of energy availability beyond which there is no negative effect for the bone needs to be established. On the balance of the available evidence it would seem unlikely that higher animal protein intakes, in the amounts recommended to athletes, are harmful to bone health, particularly with adequate calcium intake. Dermal calcium losses might be an important consideration for endurance athletes, particularly during long training sessions or events. In these situations, some consideration should be given to pre-exercise calcium feeding. The avoidance of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is important for the athlete to protect their bone health. There remains a lack of information relating to the longer-term effects of different dietary and nutritional practices on bone health in athletes, something that needs to be addressed before specific guidance can be provided.
Genetic Approaches for Sports Performance: How Far Away Are We?
Authors: Joyner Michael J.
Published: November 2019

Humans vary in their ‘natural ability’ related to sports performance. One facet of natural ability reflects so-called intrinsic ability or the ability to do well with minimal training. A second facet of natural ability is how rapidly an individual adapts to training; this is termed trainability. A third facet is the upper limit achievable after years of prolonged intense training; this represents both intrinsic ability and also trainability. There are other features of natural ability to consider, for example body size, because some events, sports, or positions favor participants of different sizes. In this context, the physiological determinants of elite endurance performance, especially running and cycling, are well known and can be used as a template to discuss these general issues. The key determinants of endurance performance include maximal oxygen uptake $$(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{2\hbox{max} } )$$

(

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O

2
max

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, the lactate threshold, and running economy (efficiency in the case of cycling or other sports). In this article, I use these physiological determinants to explore what is known about the genetics of endurance performance. My main conclusion is that at this time there are very few, if any, obvious relationships between these key physiological determinants of performance and DNA sequence variation. Several potential reasons for this lack of relationship will be discussed.
Does Hypohydration Really Impair Endurance Performance? Methodological Considerations for Interpreting Hydration Research
Authors: James Lewis J. , Funnell Mark P. , James Ruth M. , Mears Stephen A.
Published: November 2019

The impact of alterations in hydration status on human physiology and performance responses during exercise is one of the oldest research topics in sport and exercise nutrition. This body of work has mainly focussed on the impact of reduced body water stores (i.e. hypohydration) on these outcomes, on the whole demonstrating that hypohydration impairs endurance performance, likely via detrimental effects on a number of physiological functions. However, an important consideration, that has received little attention, is the methods that have traditionally been used to investigate how hypohydration affects exercise outcomes, as those used may confound the results of many studies. There are two main methodological limitations in much of the published literature that perhaps make the results of studies investigating performance outcomes difficult to interpret. First, subjects involved in studies are generally not blinded to the intervention taking place (i.e. they know what their hydration status is), which may introduce expectancy effects. Second, most of the methods used to induce hypohydration are both uncomfortable and unfamiliar to the subjects, meaning that alterations in performance may be caused by this discomfort, rather than hypohydration per se. This review discusses these methodological considerations and provides an overview of the small body of recent work that has attempted to correct some of these methodological issues. On balance, these recent blinded hydration studies suggest hypohydration equivalent to 2–3% body mass decreases endurance cycling performance in the heat, at least when no/little fluid is ingested.
The Role of Energy Availability in Reproductive Function in the Female Athlete Triad and Extension of its Effects to Men: An Initial Working Model of a Similar Syndrome in Male Athletes
Authors: De Souza Mary Jane , Koltun Kristen J. , Williams Nancy I.
Published: November 2019

The Female Athlete Triad represents three interrelated conditions of (i) low energy availability (energy deficiency), presenting with or without disordered eating, (ii) menstrual dysfunction, and (iii) poor bone health, each of which can exist along a continuum of severity ranging from mild and moderate subclinical health concerns to severe clinical outcomes, including eating disorders, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. This review provides a brief overview of the Female Athlete Triad, including updating the current thinking regarding energy availability and how it relates to reproductive function, and sets the stage for an initial working model of a similar syndrome in males that will be based on currently available evidence and will later be defined and referred to as a Male Athlete Triad by the newly re-named Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition. A primary focus of this paper will be on the physiology of each Triad model with an emphasis on low energy availability and its role in reproductive function, with a brief introduction on its effects on bone health in men. From the data reviewed, (i) a specific threshold of energy availability below which menstrual disturbances are induced is not supported; (ii) it appears that the energetic, reproductive, and bone systems in men are more resilient to the effects of low energy availability compared to those of women, requiring more severe energetic perturbations before alterations are observed; and (iii) it appears that recovery of the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis can be observed more quickly in men than in women.
The Teleos and the Anatomy of the Rule of Law in EU Infringement Procedures
Authors: Śledzińska-Simon Anna , Bárd Petra
Published: November 2019

The article proves a long-lasting legacy of Martin Krygier’s work on the rule of law. Taking the European Union as a case study, and specifically—the recent infringement action concerning the judicial independence in Poland, the article addresses the point (teleos) of the rule of law, the conditions the institutions need to fulfill to make this point, and institutional measures that help to meet these conditions in the EU as a whole and its Member States. It argues that the rule of law can be achieved via various paths, but there is general agreement on when its basic elements such as the guarantees against arbitrary removal of judges are missing. Therefore, it concludes, the EU does not need to determine the anatomy of national institutions, but it needs to remain vigilant against such modifications that put at risk the effectiveness of EU law, and the judicial protection of individual rights in particular.
A Rights-Based Approach to Youth Sexting: Challenging Risk, Shame, and the Denial of Rights to Bodily and Sexual Expression Within Youth Digital Sexual Culture
Authors: Setty Emily
Published: November 2019

Educational interventions on youth sexting often focus on individual sexters or would-be sexters, and are driven by the aim of encouraging young people to abstain from producing and sharing personal sexual images. This approach has been criticised for failing to engage with the complex sociocultural context to youth sexting. Drawing upon qualitative group and one-to-one interviews with 41 young people aged 14 to 18 living in a county in south-east England, I explore young people’s perceptions and practices surrounding sexting. By taking a grounded theory approach to the research, I reveal how young people’s shaming of digitally mediated sexual self-expression shaped and was shaped by a denial of rights to bodily and sexual autonomy and integrity. This denial of rights underpinned harmful sexting practices, including violations of privacy and consent, victim blaming, and bullying. I conclude that responses to youth sexting should attend to this broader youth cultural context, emphasise the roles and responsibilities of bystanders, and encourage a collectivist digital sexual ethics based upon rights to one’s body and freedom from harm (Albury,New Media and Society19(5):713–725, 2017; Dobson and Ringrose,Sex Education16(1):8–21, 2015).
Degenerate nonlocal Cahn-Hilliard equations: Well-posedness, regularity and local asymptotics
Authors: Davoli Elisa , Ranetbauer Helene , Scarpa Luca , Trussardi Lara
Published: November 2019

Existence and uniqueness of solutions for nonlocal Cahn-Hilliard equations with degenerate potential is shown. The nonlocality is described by means of a symmetric singular kernel not falling within the framework of any previous existence theory. A convection term is also taken into account. Building upon this novel existence result, we prove convergence of solutions for this class of nonlocal Cahn-Hilliard equations to their local counterparts, as the nonlocal convolution kernels approximate a Dirac delta. Eventually, we show that, under suitable assumptions on the data, the solutions to the nonlocal Cahn-Hilliard equations exhibit further regularity, and the nonlocal-to-local convergence is verified in a stronger topology.
The path forward in Alzheimer's disease therapeutics: Reevaluating the amyloid cascade hypothesis
Authors: Tolar Martin , Abushakra Susan , Sabbagh Marwan
Published: November 2019

Development of disease‐modifying treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been challenging, with no drugs approved to date. The failures of several amyloid‐targeted programs have led many to dismiss the amyloid beta (Aβ) hypothesis of AD. An antiamyloid antibody aducanumab recently showed modest but significant efficacy in a phase 3 trial, providing important validation of amyloid as a therapeutic target. However, the inconsistent results observed with aducanumab may be explained by the limited brain penetration and lack of selectivity for the soluble Aβ oligomers, which are implicated as upstream drivers of neurodegeneration by multiple studies. Development of agents that can effectively inhibit Aβ oligomer formation or block their toxicity is therefore warranted. An ideal drug would cross the blood‐brain barrier efficiently and achieve sustained brain levels that can continuously prevent oligomer formation or inhibit their toxicity. A late‐stage candidate with these attributes is ALZ‐801, an oral drug with a favorable safety profile and high brain penetration that can robustly inhibit Aβ oligomer formation. An upcoming phase 3 trial with ALZ‐801 in APOE4/4 homozygous patients with early AD will effectively test this amyloid oligomer hypothesis.
Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative Generation Program: Development of an APOE genetic counseling and disclosure process in the context of clinical trials
Authors: Langlois Carolyn M. , Bradbury Angela , Wood Elisabeth M. , Roberts J. Scott , Kim Scott Y.H. , Riviere Marie‐Emmanuelle , Liu Fonda , Reiman Eric M. , Tariot Pierre N. , Karlawish Jason , Langbaum Jessica B.
Published: November 2019

Introduction

As the number of Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention studies grows, many individuals will need to learn their genetic and/or biomarker risk for the disease to determine trial eligibility. An alternative to traditional models of genetic counseling and disclosure is needed to provide comprehensive standardized counseling and disclosure of apolipoprotein E (APOE) results efficiently, safely, and effectively in the context of AD prevention trials.

Methods

A multidisciplinary Genetic Testing, Counseling, and Disclosure Committee was established and charged with operationalizing the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative (API) Genetic Counseling and Disclosure Process for use in the API Generation Program trials. The objective was to provide consistent information to research participants before and during the APOE counseling and disclosure session using standardized educational and session materials.

Results

The Genetic Testing, Counseling, and Disclosure Committee created a process consisting of eight components: requirements of APOE testing and reports, psychological readiness assessment, determination of AD risk estimates, guidance for identifying providers of disclosure, predisclosure education, APOE counseling and disclosure session materials, APOE counseling and disclosure session flow, and assessing APOE disclosure impact.

Discussion

The API Genetic Counseling and Disclosure Process provides a framework for large‐scale disclosure of APOE genotype results to study participants and serves as a model for disclosure of biomarker results. The process provides education to participants about the meaning and implication(s) of their APOE results while also incorporating a comprehensive assessment of disclosure impact. Data assessing participant safety and psychological well‐being before and after APOE disclosure are still being collected and will be presented in a future publication.
BASE Jumping Fatalities Between 2007 and 2017: Main Causes of Fatal Events and Recommendations for Safety
Authors: Bouchat Pierre , Brymer Eric
Published: November 2019

Introduction

BASE (buildings, antennae, span, earth) jumping involves jumping from fixed objects with a parachute. This practice is associated with fatal events. Despite considerable evolution in BASE jump practice over the past years, fatalities have increased. Identifying the main causes of fatal events and recommending processes to reduce fatalities is vital for safe BASE jumping practice.

Methods

In an effort to capture worldwide cases between 2007 and 2017, we identified and classified on a Haddon matrix each fatal event from the BASE jumping fatality list. Although not devoid of limitations, this is the most comprehensive list of BASE jumping fatal events and the main source of information on BASE-related fatalities for BASE jump participants.

Results

The report noted 223 fatalities, 197 of them being cliff jumps. In addition, 137 fatal jumps were wingsuit jumps. Impact and object strike were the main cause of fatal event (96%). Human factors leading to fatality were mostly low pull/no pull (64%) and bad exits (15%). Equipment factors included off-heading openings, twists, and pilot chute entanglement. Environmental factors included strong wind, poor visibility, and water.

Conclusions

BASE jump practice has undergone radical transformations in the last 10 y, especially linked to the mountain environment and the use of wingsuits. These factors were linked to most fatal events. Key recommendations are basic practical measures, such as ground preparation and equipment checks, and deep technical and personal knowledge that involves regular engagement and significant introspection.
Improvised vs Standard Cervical Collar to Restrict Spine Movement in the Backcountry Environment
Authors: Porter Anne , Difrancesca Matthew , Slack Sean , Hudecek Laura , McIntosh Scott E.
Published: November 2019

Introduction

To compare the effectiveness of a molded fleece jacket with that of a standard cervical collar at limiting movement of the cervical spine in 3 different directions.

Methods

This is a prospective study using 24 healthy volunteers to measure cervical flexion/extension, rotation, and lateral flexion with both the fleece collar and the standard cervical collar. A hand-held goniometer was used for measurements. The results were then analyzed for the 3 independent movements using a noninferiority test.

Results

The fleece collar was determined to be noninferior at limiting the designated motions. Comfort was greater while wearing the improvised fleece collar.

Conclusions

Our small study demonstrated that mountain travelers and rescuers may be able to use an improvised fleece jacket collar in place of a standard collar if spine trauma is suspected after a backcountry accident. Further research should examine different types of improvised collars, their ability to remain in place over extended evacuations, and when to apply collars to backcountry patients.
Evaluating the Economic Viability of Public Investments in Tourism
Authors: Banerjee Onil , Cicowiez Martin , Moreda Adela
Published: November 2019

Various methods have been applied to evaluating the economic viability of public investments in tourism. In this article, we capitalize on the strengths of computable general equilibrium and cost-benefit analytical techniques and develop an integrated approach to evaluating public investments in tourism. We apply the approach to the evaluation of a US$6.25 million investment in tourism in Uruguay from the perspective of a multilateral development bank and a beneficiary government. These perspectives differ in a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) due to the timing of the costs incurred. The integrated approach is powerful in that it captures first and subsequent rounds of investment impacts of benefits and costs; resource diversion and constraints are accounted for, and the estimation of benefits is consistent with the welfare economics underpinnings of CBA.
The revised Permian genusDagmaritaReitlinger, 1965 (Dagmaritinae, Foraminifera) and its phylogenetic relationships
Authors: Gennari Valerio , Rettori Roberto
Published: November 2019

Among Permian smaller foraminifers, the genusDagmaritais one of the most studied due to its worldwide distribution. The detailed study of the Zal (NW Iran) and Abadeh (Central Iran) stratigraphic sections led to redescription of the genusDagmaritaand its taxonomic composition. InDagmarita, a peculiar generic morphological character, represented by a secondary valvular projection, has been detected for the first time among globivalvulinid foraminifers. The phylogeny ofDagmarita, and in particular its ancestorSengoerina, is discussed and the new species,D.ghorbaniin. sp. andD.zalensisn. sp., are introduced. Analogies and differences among all the species belonging toDagmaritaare highlighted and morphological features of the new taxa are shown in 3D reconstructions, useful for understanding differently oriented sections of the specimens in thin section.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/3d8eb14c-7757-4cbd-877c-4bacd2d156da
Phonological memory problems are magnified in children from language minority homes when predicting reading disability
Authors: HARDY Lindsay M. , BANKER Sarah , TOMB Meghan , CHA Yoochai , ZHANG Irene , THOMAS Lauren , ALGERMISSEN Molly , PEVERLY Stephen T. , NOBLE Kimberly G. , MARGOLIS Amy E.
Published: November 2019

Children from language minority (LM) environments speak a language at home that differs from that at school, are often from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and are at risk for reading impairment. We evaluated the main effects and interaction of language status and phonological memory and awareness on reading disorder in 352 children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. A significant phonological memory by language status interaction indicated that phonological memory problems were magnified in predicting reading impairment in children from LM versus English dominant (ED) homes. Among children without reading disorder, language minority status was unrelated to phonological processing.
Disqualified Witnesses Between Tannaitic Halakha and Roman Law: A Response to Orit Malka
Authors: Du Plessis Paul J.
Published: November 2019

This short piece is designed to be a response to the article by Orit Malka.
The General Council of the Bar: a Note on its History
Authors: Hatcher Mark
Published: November 2019

This article, written by Mark Hatcher, provides an overview of the background and achievements of the Bar Council, the professional body for barristers in England and Wales, since its formation in 1894. It traces the early years of the council and its expansion after the second world war, following the growth in legal aid and other post-war reconstruction measures. It describes changes in the structure and organisation of the Bar Council culminating in the implementation of reforms which followed the Legal Services Act 2007, which resulted in the separation of representation of the Bar from regulation of the profession which was delegated to the Bar Standards Board in 2006. It concludes with an overview of the key issues that are driving the Bar Council's activity to promote the Bar's high quality specialist advocacy and advisory services, and to promote access to justice for all.
Post-Imperial Europe: When Comparison Threatened, Empowered, and Was Omnipresent
Authors: Reill Dominique Kirchner
Published: November 2019

The article examines how the post-WWI, post-Habsburg city-state Fiume (today known as Rijeka in the Republic of Croatia) tried to shore up loyalty and diminish local discontent by providing welfare and economic initiatives, in direct conjunction with how much neighboring states offered. Of particular concern were comparisons with how the Fiume state dealt with the Krone currency crisis, especially as locals in Fiume were very aware of and traded in currencies of neighboring lands using the same base money. The article calls for more work to be done on the dynamic of “on-the-ground” post-imperial Europeans questioning their new governments based on how they compared their lot with their other post-Habsburg neighbors.
Between National Tradition and Western Modernization:Soviet Womanand Representations of Socialist Gender Equality as a “Third Way” for Developing Countries, 1956–1964
Authors: Varga-Harris Christine
Published: November 2019

This article analyzesSoviet Woman, the main publication of theKomitet Sovetskikh Zhenshchin(Committee of Soviet Women), during the 1950s and 1960s. Approaching it as a medium of international outreach, the article illustrates how the magazine reflected official Soviet strategies toward developing countries and propagated “peaceful coexistence.” Specifically, it delineates the ways in whichSoviet Womanpresented Soviet women (especially those in the “Soviet East”) as models of female emancipation so as to persuade women in the Third World of the potential of socialism to effect social and economic progress, and to sustain national liberation. Assessing also reception among readers of its messages about advancement, international friendship, and solidarity, it concludes thatSoviet Womanprovided women in decolonizing countries an alternative to a return to traditional modes or a shift to western ones by demonstrating the possibilities that the Soviet system held for realizing gender equality and modernization.
Wie Pflegekräfte im ambulanten Bereich den Einsatz von Telepräsenzsystemen einschätzen
Authors: Geier Julia , Mauch Melanie , Patsch Maximilian , Paulicke Denny
Published: November 2019

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Technische Assistenzsysteme werden zunehmend als Lösungsansatz diskutiert, um die gesundheitliche Versorgung älterer Menschen zu unterstützen und die Autonomie im Alter möglichst lange aufrecht zu erhalten. Auch Telepräsenzsysteme (TPS) werden im Zuge dessen im Rahmen von Pflegetätigkeiten eingesetzt. Ziel: Die Studie verfolgt das Ziel, zu beschreiben, inwiefern Pflegekräfte TPS für den Einsatz in der ambulanten Pflege als geeignet einschätzen. Methode: In Fokusgruppen (n = 4) in Sachsen-Anhalt wurde im Anschluss an eine Vorstellung eines TPS über Einsatzmöglichkeiten, Probleme und Potenziale in Bezug zur Einsatzfähigkeit in der ambulanten Pflege diskutiert. Die Datenauswertung erfolgte mittels der Dokumentarischen Methode nach Bohnsack, Nentwig-Gesemann & Nohl (2007). Ergebnisse: Das vorgestellte TPS wurde für die praktische Anwendung im ambulanten Bereich aufgrund fehlender Technikkompetenzen aller Beteiligten, nicht ausreichender Funktionalität des Geräts sowie ethischen und Finanzierungsfragen als eher ungeeignet eingeschätzt. Die Möglichkeit, den Kontakt zwischen Pflegebedürftigen und Angehörigen durch das Gerät zu intensivieren, wird als äußerst positiv erachtet. Weitere Einsatzoptionen könnten die schnelle Kontaktaufnahme in Notfallsituationen oder die Betreuung der Medikamenteneinnahme sein. Schlussfolgerung: TPS sind für den Einsatz in der ambulanten Pflege nicht ausgereift. Zur Entfaltung ihres Potenzials wäre die frühzeitige Einbindung von Pflegekräften bei der Entwicklung von Pflegetechnologien entscheidend. Der Erwerb von Technikkompetenzen bereits in der Pflegeausbildung würde Pflegekräften dabei helfen, an diesem Entwicklungsprozess teilzunehmen.
Global Attribution of Runoff Variance Across Multiple Timescales
Authors: Liu Jianyu , Zhang Qiang , Feng Shuyun , Gu Xihui , Singh Vijay P. , Sun Peng
Published: November 2019

Previous findings on the relative importance of driving factors to runoff have been controversial, and the relative contribution of driving factors behind the temporal variance of runoff (Rv) still remains unquantified at a global scale. Here, we present a new framework to quantify the driving factors behind Rv globally by decomposing Rv into the temporal variance of precipitation (P), potential evapotranspiration (E0), total water storage change (∆S), and other factors (represented by n in Budyko equation), such as climate seasonality, land cover, and human impact, at intra‐annual, interannual, and multiannual timescales. The results reveal that P controls Rv at different timescales in most parts of the globe. P has distinctly larger impacts on Rv in humid basins at the multiannual scale, while other factors have larger impacts in arid basins. We highlight the different impacts of driving factors on Rv at multiple timescales, which contradicts previous global assessments that assess the relative importance by sensitivity.
Modeling Radar Albedos of Laboratory‐Characterized Particles: Application to the Lunar Surface
Authors: Virkki Anne K. , Bhiravarasu Sriram S.
Published: November 2019

We analyze lunar images obtained by the Mini Radio Frequency instrument onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to interpret the anomalous radar scattering observed in some lunar craters. We compare the radar signatures of the crater floors to those of the regions external to the crater rim and show that there is a systematic difference between the radar albedo trends of the two regions. Using numerical simulations to compute radar scattering properties of rock and ice particles, we demonstrate that the difference is caused partly by the near‐surface bulk volume density or the underlying fine‐grained regolith and partly by the shape and size distributions of centimeter‐to‐decimeter‐scale rubble. We show that while the size distribution of wavelength‐scale particles plays the major role in the observed radar albedos, if the size distribution is fixed, the particle shapes can play a greater role than the composition; therefore, the icy material is indistinguishable from silicate‐rich material unless the abundance of ice in the particles plays a major role in the shape of the particles.