bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trading heat and hops for water: Dehydration effects on locomotor performance, thermal limits, and thermoregulatory behavior of a terrestrial toad
Authors: Anderson Rodolfo C. O. , Andrade Denis V.
Published: September 2017

Due to their highly permeable skin and ectothermy, terrestrial amphibians are challenged by compromises between water balance and body temperature regulation. The way in which such compromises are accommodated, under a range of temperatures and dehydration levels, impacts importantly the behavior and ecology of amphibians. Thus, using the terrestrial toad Rhinella schneideri as a model organism, the goals of this study were twofold. First, we determined how the thermal sensitivity of a centrally relevant trait—locomotion—was affected by dehydration. Secondly, we examined the effects of the same levels of dehydration on thermal preference and thermal tolerance. As dehydration becomes more severe, the optimal temperature for locomotor performance was lowered and performance breadth narrower. Similarly, dehydration was accompanied by a decrease in the thermal tolerance range. Such a decrease was caused by both an increase in the critical minimal temperature and a decrease in the thermal maximal temperature, with the latter changing more markedly. In general, our results show that the negative effects of dehydration on behavioral performance and thermal tolerance are, at least partially, counteracted by concurrent adjustments in thermal preference. We discuss some of the potential implications of this observation for the conservation of anuran amphibians.
Acute kidney injury in cardiogenic shock: definitions, incidence, haemodynamic alterations, and mortality
Authors: Tarvasmäki Tuukka , Haapio Mikko , Mebazaa Alexandre , Sionis Alessandro , Silva‐Cardoso José , Tolppanen Heli , Lindholm Matias Greve , Pulkki Kari , Parissis John , Harjola Veli‐Pekka , Lassus Johan ,   on behalf of the CardShock Study Investigators
Published: September 2017

Aims

To investigate the incidence, haemodynamic alterations and 90‐day mortality of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with cardiogenic shock. We assessed the utility of creatinine, urine output (UO) and cystatin C (CysC) definitions of AKI in prognostication.

Methods and results

Cardiogenic shock patients with serial plasma samples (n = 154) from the prospective multicenter CardShock study were included in the analysis. Acute kidney injury was defined and staged according to the KDIGO criteria by creatinine (AKIcrea) and/or UO (AKIUO). CysC‐based AKI (AKICysC) was defined similarly to AKIcrea. Changes in haemodynamic parameters were assessed over time from baseline until 96 h. Mean age of the study population was 66 ± 12 years and 74% were men. Median baseline creatinine was 1.12 [interquartile range (IQR) 0.87–1.54] mg/dL and CysC 1.19 (IQR 0.90–1.69) mg/L. The 90‐day mortality was 38%. The incidences for AKI were: AKIcrea 31%, AKIUO 50%, and AKICysc 33%. AKIcrea [odds ratio (OR) 12.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.1–36.0] and AKICysC (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1–6.1), but not AKIUO, were independent predictors of mortality. However, a stricter UO cut‐off of <0.3 mL/kg/h for 6 h was independently associated with 90‐day mortality (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.4–9.3). Development of AKI was associated with persistently elevated central venous pressure and decreased cardiac index and mean arterial pressure.

Conclusions

Acute kidney injury is frequent in patients with cardiogenic shock and especially AKIcrea predicts poor outcome. The KDIGO UO criterion seems, however, rather liberal and a stricter AKI definition of UO <0.3 mL/kg/h for at least 6 h seems more useful for mortality risk prediction. Haemodynamic alterations reflecting venous congestion and hypoperfusion were associated with AKI.
Screening for heart transplantation and left ventricular assist system: results from the ScrEEning for advanced Heart Failure treatment (SEE‐HF) study
Authors: Lund Lars H. , Trochu Jean‐Noel , Meyns Bart , Caliskan Kadir , Shaw Steven , Schmitto Jan D. , Schibilsky David , Damme Laura , Heatley Jerry , Gustafsson Finn
Published: September 2017

Background

Heart transplantation (HTx) and implantable left ventricular assist systems (LVAS) improve outcomes in advanced heart failure but may be underutilized. We hypothesized that screening can identify appropriate candidates.

Methods and results

The ScrEEning for advanced Heart Failure treatment (SEE‐HF) study was a multicentre prospective study screening patients with existing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and/or implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) for ejection fraction ≤40% and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III–IV, and subsequently for guideline‐based HTx and LVAS indication. Of 1722 (mean age 64 ± 14 years, 26% women) patients screened at eight centres in seven European countries, 121 (7.0%) were eligible and 99 (5.7%; mean age 61 ± 10 years, 19% women) patients were enrolled for detailed assessment. Twenty‐six of the 99 enrolled patients (26%) were eligible for either HTx or LVAD (18 eligible for HTx; 7 eligible for LVAD; and 1 eligible for both). Eleven patients were listed for HTx and three received an LVAS. Eligible patients were 61 ± 8 years and 19% women, whereas those actually receiving intervention were 56 ± 8 years and 8% women.

Conclusions

Among patients with CRT and/or ICD, a minority have NYHA class III–IV heart failure and ejection fraction ≤40%. Among these, however, more than one‐quarter have an unrecognized need for HTx or LVAS. When patients are offered intervention based on screening, many decline. Discrepancies exist between clinical and patient equipoise.

Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Unique Identifier: NCT00894387
Prognostic importance of emerging cardiac, inflammatory, and renal biomarkers in chronic heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction and anaemia: RED‐HF study
Authors: Welsh Paul , Kou Lei , Yu Changhong , Anand Inder , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , Maggioni Aldo P. , Desai Akshay S. , Solomon Scott D. , Pfeffer Marc A. , Cheng Sunfa , Gullestad Lars , Aukrust Pål , Ueland Thor , Swedberg Karl , Young James B. , Kattan Michael W. , Sattar Naveed , McMurray John J.V.
Published: September 2017

Aims

To test the prognostic value of emerging biomarkers in the Reduction of Events by Darbepoetin Alfa in Heart Failure (RED‐HF) trial.

Methods and results

Circulating cardiac [N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP), and high‐sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT)], neurohumoral [mid‐regional pro‐adrenomedullin (MR‐proADM) and copeptin], renal (cystatin C), and inflammatory [high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP)] biomarkers were measured at randomization in 1853 participants with complete data. The relationship between these biomarkers and the primary composite endpoint of heart failure hospitalization or cardiovascular death over 28 months of follow‐up (n = 834) was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression, the c‐statistic and the net reclassification index (NRI). After adjustment, the hazard ratio (HR) for the composite outcome in the top tertile of the distribution compared to the lowest tertile for each biomarker was: NT‐proBNP 3.96 (95% CI 3.16–4.98), hsTnT 3.09 (95% CI 2.47–3.88), MR‐proADM 2.28 (95% CI 1.83–2.84), copeptin 1.66 (95% CI 1.35–2.04), cystatin C 1.92 (95% CI 1.55–2.37), and hsCRP 1.51 (95% CI 1.27–1.80). A basic clinical prediction model was improved on addition of each biomarker individually, most strongly by NT‐proBNP (NRI +62.3%, P < 0.001), but thereafter was only improved marginally by addition of hsTnT (NRI +33.1%, P = 0.004). Further addition of biomarkers did not improve discrimination further. Findings were similar for all‐cause mortality.

Conclusion

Once NT‐proBNP is included, only hsTnT moderately further improved risk stratification in this group of chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction patients with moderate anaemia. NT‐proBNP and hsTnT far outperform other emerging biomarkers in prediction of adverse outcome.
Children with migraine: Provocation of headache via pressure to myofascial trigger points in the trapezius muscle? – A prospective controlled observational study
Authors: Landgraf M.N. , Biebl J.T. , Langhagen T. , Hannibal I. , Eggert T. , Vill K. , Gerstl L. , Albers L. , von Kries R. , Straube A. , Heinen F.
Published: September 2017

Background

The objective was to evaluate a supposed clinical interdependency of myofascial trigger points and migraine in children. Such interdependency would support an interaction of spinal and trigeminal afferences in the trigemino‐cervical complex as a contributing factor in migraine.

Methods

Children ≤18 years with the confirmed diagnosis of migraine were prospectively investigated. Comprehensive data on medical history, clinical neurological and psychological status were gathered. Trigger points in the trapezius muscle were identified by palpation and the threshold of pressure pain at these points was measured. Manual pressure was applied to the trigger points, and the occurrence and duration of induced headache were recorded. At a second consultation (4 weeks after the first), manual pressure with the detected pressure threshold was applied to non‐trigger points within the same trapezius muscle (control). Headache and related parameters were again recorded and compared to the results of the first consultation.

Results

A total of 13 girls and 13 boys with migraine and a median age of 14.5 (Range 6.3–17.8) years took part in the study. Manual pressure to trigger points in the trapezius muscle led to lasting headache after termination of the manual pressure in 13 patients while no patient experienced headache when manual pressure was applied to non‐trigger points at the control visit (p < 0.001). Headache was induced significantly more often in children ≥12 years and those with internalizing behavioural disorder.

Conclusion

We found an association between trapezius muscle myofascial trigger points and migraine, which might underline the concept of the trigemino‐cervical complex, especially in adolescents.

Significance

In children with migraine headache can often be induced by pressure to myofascial trigger points, but not by pressure to non‐trigger points in the trapezius muscle. This supports the hypothesis of a trigemino‐cervical‐complex in the pathophysiology of migraine, which might have implications for innovative therapies in children with migraine.
C‐reactive protein levels and treatment resistance in schizophrenia—A Danish population‐based cohort study
Authors: Horsdal Henriette Thisted , Wimberley Theresa , Benros Michael Eriksen , Gasse Christiane
Published: September 2017

Objective

Schizophrenia is associated with increased levels of inflammatory markers. However, it remains unclear whether inflammatory markers are associated with treatment‐resistant schizophrenia.

Methods

We conducted a population‐based follow‐up study among individuals with a first‐time schizophrenia diagnosis and a baseline C‐reactive protein measurement (a commonly available marker of systemic inflammation) from 2000 to 2012. We defined treatment resistance as the earliest observed instance of either clozapine initiation or hospital admission due to schizophrenia after having received at least 2 prior antipsychotic monotherapy trials of adequate duration. We used adjusted Cox regression analysis to calculate hazard ratios.

Results

We identified 390 individuals with a C‐reactive protein measurement at first‐time schizophrenia diagnosis. A nonsignificant higher median C‐reactive protein (4.0 vs. 3.1 mg/L, p = .13) was observed among the 52 (13.3%) treatment‐resistant individuals. Increased levels of C‐reactive protein (above 3 mg/L) at baseline were not associated with treatment resistance (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.99, 95% confidence interval [0.56, 1.73]).

Conclusions

C‐reactive protein, as a single inflammatory marker, appears insufficient to detect treatment‐resistant schizophrenia.
Autologous bioscaffolds based on different concentrations of platelet rich plasma and synovial fluid as a vehicle for mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Garate Ane , Sánchez Pello , Delgado Diego , Bilbao Ane Miren , Muiños‐López Emma , Granero‐Moltó Froilán , Orive Gorka , Prosper Felipe , Pedraz José Luis , Sánchez Mikel
Published: September 2017

In the field of tissue engineering, diverse types of bioscaffolds are being developed currently for osteochondral defect applications. In this work, a novel scaffold based on platelet rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been evaluated to observe its effect on immobilized cells. The bioscaffolds were prepared by mixing different volumes of synovial fluid (SF) with PRP from patients obtaining three formulations at PRP‐SF ratios of 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3 (v/v). The live/dead staining revealed that although the cell number of each type of bioscaffold was different, these this constructs provide cells with a suitable environment for their viability and proliferation. Moreover, immobilized MSCs showed their ability to secrete fibrinolytic enzymes, which vary depending on the fibrin amount of the scaffold. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the positive staining for collagen type II in all cases, proving the biologic action of SF derived MSCs together with the suitable characteristics of the bioscaffold for chondrogenic differentiation. Considering all these aspects, this study demonstrates that these cells‐based constructs represent an attractive method for cell immobilization, achieving completely autologous and biocompatible scaffolds. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 377–385, 2018.
Quality assessment of Herba Leonuri based on the analysis of multiple components using normal‐ and reversed‐phase chromatographic methods
Authors: Dong Shuya , He Jiao , Hou Huiping , Shuai Yaping , Wang Qi , Yang Wenling , Sun Zheng , Li Qing , Bi Kaishun , Liu Ran
Published: September 2017

A novel, improved, and comprehensive method for quality evaluation and discrimination of Herba Leonuri has been developed and validated based on normal‐ and reversed‐phase chromatographic methods. To identify Herba Leonuri, normal‐ and reversed‐phase high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography fingerprints were obtained by comparing the colors and Rf values of the bands, and reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprints were obtained by using an Agilent Poroshell 120 SB‐C18 within 28 min. By similarity analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis, we show that there are similar chromatographic patterns in Herba Leonuri samples, but significant differences in counterfeits and variants. To quantify the bio‐active components of Herba Leonuri, reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography was performed to analyze syringate, leonurine, quercetin‐3‐O‐robiniaglycoside, hyperoside, rutin, isoquercitrin, wogonin, and genkwanin simultaneously by single standard to determine multi‐components method with rutin as internal standard. Meanwhile, normal‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography was performed by using an Agilent ZORBAX HILIC Plus within 6 min to determine trigonelline and stachydrine using trigonelline as internal standard. Innovatively, among these compounds, bio‐active components of quercetin‐3‐O‐robiniaglycoside and trigonelline were first determined in Herba Leonuri. In general, the method integrating multi‐chromatographic analyses offered an efficient way for the standardization and identification of Herba Leonuri.
Maps of Mori Dream Spaces in Cox coordinates Part I: existence of descriptions
Authors: Buczyński J. , Kędzierski O.
Published: September 2017

Any rational map between affine spaces, projective spaces or toric varieties can be described in terms of their affine, homogeneous, or Cox coordinates. We show an analogous statement in the setting of Mori Dream Spaces. More precisely (in the case of regular maps) we show that there exists a finite extension of the Cox ring of the source, such that the regular map lifts to a morphism from the Cox ring of the target to the finite extension. Moreover the extension only involves roots of homogeneous elements. Such a description of the map can be applied in practical computations.
Physiotherapists utilizing diagnostic ultrasound in shoulder clinics. How useful do patients find immediate feedback from the scan as part of the management of their problem?
Authors: Lumsden Gordon , Lucas‐Garner Kerry , Sutherland Sarah , Dodenhoff Ron
Published: September 2017

Aims

Physiotherapists are beginning to utilize diagnostic ultrasound imaging in upper limb/shoulder clinics. The aim of the present study was to receive feedback on the views of the patients concerning the usefulness of the information obtained immediately from the scan in the management of their problem.

Methods

A questionnaire was offered to all patients attending a physiotherapist‐led upper limb/shoulder clinic who underwent ultrasound imaging as part of a shoulder assessment over a 6‐month period. A total of 103 patients completed a questionnaire for analysis.

Results

Patients rated the ultrasound scan to be of benefit in all aspects. Regarding the ability to understand their shoulder problem better and in feeling reassured about their problem, 97% of patients either strongly agreed or agreed that this was the case. Concerning the capability of managing their problem, 89% of patients strongly agreed or agreed that they felt more able to do this. In total, 96% of patients evaluated the ultrasound scan to be of very high/high value to them.

Conclusion

Patients highly rate the information gained from ultrasound imaging in a physiotherapy‐led upper limb/shoulder clinic and felt that it assisted them in the understanding, reassurance and management of their problem.
L1 synthesis of a static output controller for positive systems by LMI iteration
Authors: Saeki Masami
Published: September 2017

An approach to find a static output feedback gain that makes the feedback system positive and minimizes the L1 gain is proposed. The problem of finding a static output feedback gain has 3 aspects: stabilizing the system, making the system positive, and then minimizing the L1 gain. Each subproblem is described by bilinear matrix inequality with respect to the feedback gain and the Lyapunov matrix or vector. Linear matrix inequality (LMI) that is sufficient to satisfy bilinear matrix inequality is derived using a convex‐concave decomposition, and the feedback gain sequence is calculated by an iterative solution of LMI. The sequence of the upper bounds on the design parameter is guaranteed to be monotonically nonincreasing for each algorithm. Similarly, 2 other LMIs are derived for each subproblem using another convex‐concave decomposition and PK iteration. The effectiveness of these algorithms is illustrated via several numerical examples.
Justice‐centered science pedagogy: A catalyst for academic achievement and social transformation
Authors: Morales‐Doyle Daniel
Published: September 2017

Longstanding inequities in science education across the lines of race and class remain the most intractable problem in the field. Justice‐centered science pedagogy is introduced as a theoretical framework built on the traditions of critical pedagogy and culturally relevant pedagogy to address these inequities as components of larger oppressive systems. This study examines how a justice‐centered advanced chemistry class in an urban neighborhood high school supported students to succeed academically while taking up urgent issues of social and environmental justice identified by their communities. The findings include evidence that curriculum organized around an issue of environmental racism supported academic achievement that exceeded the expectations of a typical high school chemistry course. The findings also document how the curriculum provided opportunities for students to move beyond academic achievement to position themselves as transformative intellectuals. As transformative intellectuals, students demonstrated complex thinking about science and social justice issues, cultivated their commitment to their communities and cultures of origin, and developed credibility as local youth knowledgeable in science. These findings have implications for teachers, teacher educators, and educational researchers who wish to engage with science education as a catalyst for social transformation.
Learning progressions in context: Tensions and insights from a semester‐long middle school modeling curriculum
Authors: Pierson Ashlyn E. , Clark Douglas B. , Sherard Max K.
Published: September 2017

Schwarz and colleagues have proposed and refined a learning progression for modeling that provides a valuable template for envisioning increasingly sophisticated levels of modeling practice at an aggregate level (Fortus, Shwartz, & Rosenfeld, ; Schwarz et al., ; Schwarz, Reiser, Archer, Kenyon, & Fortus, ). Thinking about learning progressions for modeling, however, involves challenges in coordinating between aggregate arcs in the curriculum and individual student learning trajectories. First, individual student performance is often dependent on students’ epistemic aims and the nature of the conceptual and representational context. Second, approaches for longitudinally supporting students in modeling is a relatively nascent endeavor, although notable exemplars have been developed (e.g., IQWST). Third, research on the highest levels of the proposed progression is often hypothetical, because few students demonstrate high‐level modeling practices in typical classrooms. In response to these challenges, we conducted a semester‐long design‐based study of eighth graders engaging in diagrammatic, physical, and computational modeling. In this paper, we explore conceptual and representational contexts designed to support sophisticated modeling practices and beliefs, analyze the nature of high‐level performances achieved through these contexts, and suggest revisions to the articulation of the Schwarz and colleagues learning progression to increase its utility and generalizability when viewed through a resource‐related lens.
Extending the MR‐Egger method for multivariable Mendelian randomization to correct for both measured and unmeasured pleiotropy
Authors: Rees Jessica M. B. , Wood Angela M. , Burgess Stephen
Published: September 2017

Methods have been developed for Mendelian randomization that can obtain consistent causal estimates while relaxing the instrumental variable assumptions. These include multivariable Mendelian randomization, in which a genetic variant may be associated with multiple risk factors so long as any association with the outcome is via the measured risk factors (measured pleiotropy), and the MR‐Egger (Mendelian randomization‐Egger) method, in which a genetic variant may be directly associated with the outcome not via the risk factor of interest, so long as the direct effects of the variants on the outcome are uncorrelated with their associations with the risk factor (unmeasured pleiotropy). In this paper, we extend the MR‐Egger method to a multivariable setting to correct for both measured and unmeasured pleiotropy. We show, through theoretical arguments and a simulation study, that the multivariable MR‐Egger method has advantages over its univariable counterpart in terms of plausibility of the assumption needed for consistent causal estimation and power to detect a causal effect when this assumption is satisfied. The methods are compared in an applied analysis to investigate the causal effect of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol on coronary heart disease risk. The multivariable MR‐Egger method will be useful to analyse high‐dimensional data in situations where the risk factors are highly related and it is difficult to find genetic variants specifically associated with the risk factor of interest (multivariable by design), and as a sensitivity analysis when the genetic variants are known to have pleiotropic effects on measured risk factors.
Impact of structural weighting on a latent Dirichlet allocation–based feature location technique
Authors: Eddy Brian P. , Kraft Nicholas A. , Gray Jeff
Published: September 2017

Text retrieval–based feature location techniques (FLTs) use information from the terms present in documents in classes and methods. However, relevant terms originating from certain locations (eg, method names) often comprise only a small part of the entire method lexicon. Feature location techniques should benefit from techniques that make greater use of this information. The primary objective of this study was to investigate how weighting terms from different locations in source code can improve a latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA)‐based FLT. We conducted an empirical study of 4 subject software systems and 372 features. For each subject system, we trained 1024 different LDA models with new weighting schemes applied to leading comments, method names, parameters, body comments, and local variables. We conducted both a quantitative and qualitative analysis to identify the effects of using the weighting schemes on the performance of the LDA‐based FLT. We evaluated weighting schemes based on mean reciprocal rank and spread of effectiveness measures. In addition, we conducted a factorial analysis to identify which locations have a main impact on the results of the FLT. We then examined the effects of adding information from class comments, class names, and fields to the top 10 configurations for each system. This results in an additional 640 different LDA models for each system. From our results, we identified a significant effect in the performance of an LDA‐based weighting configuration when applying our weighting schemes to the LDA‐based FLT. Furthermore, we found that adding information from each method's containing class can improve the effectiveness of an LDA‐based FLT. Finally, we identified a set of recommendations for identifying better weighting schemes for LDA.
Randomized, dose‐controlled double‐blind trial: Efficacy of an ethanolic kava (Piper methysticum rhizome) extract for the treatment of anxiety in elderly patients
Authors: Kuchta Kenny , de Nicola Pietro , Schmidt Mathias
Published: September 2017

Aim

Kava, an aqueous drink from the roots and peeled rootstock of the plant Piper methysticum G.Forst., is renowned in Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia for its relaxant effect. Modern extract preparations with defined contents of kavalactones – the major active constituents – are well established as herbal medicinal products on the European market. The aim of this trial was to present data on the clinical efficacy of an ethanolic kava extract.

Methods

In the present double‐blind clinical trial, the differences in clinical outcome between a low dose of ethanolic kava extract (equivalent to 20 mg kavalactones daily) and a respective high dose (equivalent to 200 mg kavalactones daily) were investigated. Patients with anxiety disorders were randomized into the two groups, resulting in 33 patients in the high‐dose group and 36 patients in the low‐dose group. The study duration was 4 weeks; the primary parameter was the Hamilton anxiety (HAMA) score. Global efficacy was rated by the physician at the end of the study. Safety of application was based on the documentation of adverse events.

Results

The high‐dose group was statistically significantly superior to the low‐dose group on HAMA total score and its subscores for psychological and physical manifestations of anxiety (P < 0.001), with a total improvement of −41.5% versus −13.6% relative to baseline HAMA total score on day 28. No adverse events occurred.

Conclusion

Kava preparations have a dose‐dependent anxiolytic effect.
Effective transport properties of composites with a doubly‐periodic array of fiber pairs and with a triangular array of fibers
Authors: Yan P. , Zhang Z. A. , Chen F. L. , Jiang C. P. , Wang X. J. , Qiu Z. P.
Published: September 2017

This paper presents a complex variable solution for the effective transport properties of composites with a doubly‐periodic array of fiber pairs. By using the centrosymmetry of the problem, the method of Rayleigh and Natanzon‐Filshtinsky's approach can be simply extended to the problems with two fibers per unit cell. The infinite system constructed in this paper only slightly complicates Rayleigh's system for the problems with one fiber per unit cell. Approximate analytical formulae of the effective transport properties for different fiber‐pair arrays are obtained. The influence of pairwise interaction in fiber pairs on the effective transport properties is discussed in the numerical examples. As a special case of a doubly‐periodic array of fiber pairs, effective transport property of composites with a triangular array of fibers is obtained. The obtained approximate analytical formulae are written in a concise form with good accuracy, thus are convenient for engineering application in most cases, except for those approaching the limit case of percolation when the perfectly conducting fibers become touching. Besides the square array and hexagonal array, the triangular fiber array (similar to carbon atom arrangement in graphene) is another special symmetric fiber array which results into transversely isotropic effective property. Therefore, the present solution for the triangular array is an extension of those for the square array and hexagonal array. The comparison of the results for the three symmetric fiber arrays reveals that the triangular fiber array has the highest conductivity. In addition, accuracy of the present solution is analyzed in the numerical examples.
EUREC4A: A Field Campaign to Elucidate the Couplings Between Clouds, Convection and Circulation
Authors: Bony Sandrine , Stevens Bjorn , Ament Felix , Bigorre Sebastien , Chazette Patrick , Crewell Susanne , Delanoë Julien , Emanuel Kerry , Farrell David , Flamant Cyrille , Gross Silke , Hirsch Lutz , Karstensen Johannes , Mayer Bernhard , Nuijens Louise , Ruppert James H. , Sandu Irina , Siebesma Pier , Speich Sabrina , Szczap Frédéric , Totems Julien , Vogel Raphaela , Wendisch Manfred , Wirth Martin
Published: September 2017

Trade-wind cumuli constitute the cloud type with the highest frequency of occurrence on Earth, and it has been shown that their sensitivity to changing environmental conditions will critically influence the magnitude and pace of future global warming. Research over the last decade has pointed out the importance of the interplay between clouds, convection and circulation in controling this sensitivity. Numerical models represent this interplay in diverse ways, which translates into different responses of trade-cumuli to climate perturbations. Climate models predict that the area covered by shallow cumuli at cloud base is very sensitive to changes in environmental conditions, while process models suggest the opposite. To understand and resolve this contradiction, we propose to organize a field campaign aimed at quantifying the physical properties of trade-cumuli (e.g., cloud fraction and water content) as a function of the large-scale environment. Beyond a better understanding of clouds-circulation coupling processes, the campaign will provide a reference data set that may be used as a benchmark for advancing the modelling and the satellite remote sensing of clouds and circulation. It will also be an opportunity for complementary investigations such as evaluating model convective parameterizations or studying the role of ocean mesoscale eddies in air–sea interactions and convective organization.
Guidelines: The do’s, don’ts and don’t knows of direct observation of clinical skills in medical education
Authors: Kogan Jennifer R. , Hatala Rose , Hauer Karen E. , Holmboe Eric
Published: September 2017

Introduction Direct observation of clinical skills is a key assessment strategy in competency-based medical education. The guidelines presented in this paper synthesize the literature on direct observation of clinical skills. The goal is to provide a practical list of Do’s, Don’ts and Don’t Knows about direct observation for supervisors who teach learners in the clinical setting and for educational leaders who are responsible for clinical training programs. Methods We built consensus through an iterative approach in which each author, based on their medical education and research knowledge and expertise, independently developed a list of Do’s, Don’ts, and Don’t Knows about direct observation of clinical skills. Lists were compiled, discussed and revised. We then sought and compiled evidence to support each guideline and determine the strength of each guideline. Results A final set of 33 Do’s, Don’ts and Don’t Knows is presented along with a summary of evidence for each guideline. Guidelines focus on two groups: individual supervisors and the educational leaders responsible for clinical training programs. Guidelines address recommendations for how to focus direct observation, select an assessment tool, promote high quality assessments, conduct rater training, and create a learning culture conducive to direct observation. Conclusions High frequency, high quality direct observation of clinical skills can be challenging. These guidelines offer important evidence-based Do’s and Don’ts that can help improve the frequency and quality of direct observation.
The Concept of Action
Authors: Enfield N. J. , Sidnell Jack
Published: September 2017

When people do things with words, how do we know what they are doing? Many scholars have assumed a category of things called actions: 'requests', 'proposals', 'complaints', 'excuses'. The idea is both convenient and intuitive, but as this book argues, it is a spurious concept of action. In interaction, a person's primary task is to decide how to respond, not to label what someone just did. The labeling of actions is a meta-level process, appropriate only when we wish to draw attention to others' behaviors in order to quiz, sanction, praise, blame, or otherwise hold them to account. This book develops a new account of action grounded in certain fundamental ideas about the nature of human sociality: that social conduct is naturally interpreted as purposeful; that human behavior is shaped under a tyranny of social accountability; and that language is our central resource for social action and reaction.
Publics and Participation in the Three Kingdoms: Was There Such a Thing as “British Public Opinion” in the Seventeenth Century?
Authors: Harris Tim
Published: September 2017

This article explores where the people fit in to British history and whether there was such a thing as British public opinion in the seventeenth century. It argues that given the nature of the Stuart multiple monarchy, and the way the power structures of that monarchy impinged upon Ireland, Scotland, and England, the Stuarts' political authority was at times publicly negotiated on a Britannic level. People across Britain were engaged with British affairs: there was public opinion about British politics, in other words, albeit not British public opinion, since the people were bitterly divided at this time. However, because the crisis that brought down Charles I had been a three-kingdoms crisis, which in turn had helped spark the growth of a more sophisticated British news culture, the Restoration monarchy became increasingly sensitive to the need to try to keep public opinion across the Britannic archipelago on its side. In response to the challenge of the Whigs during the Exclusion Crisis, Charles II and his Tory allies sought to rally public support across England, Scotland, and Ireland and thus to represent “British public opinion” as being in favor of the hereditary succession. It was a representation, however, that remained contested.
Introduction: Publics and Participation in Early Modern Britain
Authors: Stewart Laura A. M.
Published: September 2017

The deconstruction of what is termed “the public sphere” in recent decades has resulted in an important shift in scholarly attention towards networks and forms of association. This article explores how greater sensitivity to the unstable and ephemeral nature of “publics,” combined with a stronger awareness of the role of cultural exchange, has undoubtedly enriched our understanding of early modern politics. Some analytical precision has, nonetheless, been lost. A justifiable emphasis on the artificiality of the territorial borders that have defined units of enquiry has occurred at the expense of deeper consideration of the cultural boundaries that dictated the terms on which people could participate in and shape public discourse. Study of the British archipelago can offer new ways of thinking about these problems. Linguistic and ethnic differences, the search for religious concord as well as the reality of confessional division, institutional variation, and the consequences of London's increasing dominance of the archipelago, are key facets of the reassessments undertaken here. The article concludes by reflecting on how interactions between varieties of “public” and other forms of association can nuance our understanding of early modern state formation.
Christopher Duggan, the mafia and Fascism
Authors: Coco Vittorio
Published: September 2017

This article starts by discussing aspects of Christopher Duggan’s first book La mafia durante il fascismo, published in 1986, whose main topic was the anti-mafia campaign led by the prefect Cesare Mori in the latter half of the 1920s. The book’s distinctive features were its rigorous historical approach and use of archival sources: these set it apart from most other work on these topics at the time, when the idea that the mafia could be subjected to historical research had not yet been properly established. In its central thesis Duggan’s book was influenced by previous interpretations of the mafia, then still widely shared, that denied its nature as a structured organisation. Duggan argued here that Fascism used accusations of mafia involvement essentially as a way of attacking its political opponents. The final part of the article presents key aspects of a newer area of research on the mafia and Fascism, the 1930s, when a new campaign to suppress the mafia was not made use of for propaganda purposes.
Oviposition preferences of dengue vectors;Aedes aegyptiandAedes albopictusin Sri Lanka under laboratory settings
Authors: Gunathilaka N. , Ranathunge T. , Udayanga L. , Wijegunawardena A. , Abeyewickreme W.
Published: September 2017

Investigations on oviposition behaviour of dengue vectors are critical for effective controlling of vector breeding. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the oviposition behaviour of dengue vectors,Aedes aegyptiandAedes albopictusin Sri Lanka. Batches of 1000 adult mosquitoes (1 : 1, male: female ratio) housed in rearing cages were used for each experimental setup fromAe. aegyptiandAe. albopictus. Oviposition responses with respect to the size of the ovitrap, colours of the ovitrap, water source, sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration and presence/absence of larvae were evaluated by enumerating the number of eggs laid in the ovitraps. The analysis of variance and cluster analysis were used to investigate the significance in the variations among oviposition. The number of eggs laid by both species were improved with the increasing size of ovitraps.Ae. albopictusindicated the highest mean number of eggs in 0.2% of NaCl than in the ovitraps filled with distilled water. However, the egg laying preference was reduced with increasing salinity in both species. Drain water with low dissolved oxygen (DO) level (0.43 ± 0.12 mg l−1) was the preferred water source for both species, while a significantly high oviposition rate was observed in ovitraps with larvae. Black colour ovitraps attracted the majority of gravid females, while white was least preferred. There were no significant variations among oviposition behaviours ofAe. albopictusandAe. aegypti. The ability of these vectors to breed in waste water with low DO levels may lead them to attain wide dissemination in the natural environment, enhancing their potential threat to human life.
Men of Science and Action: The Celebrity of Explorers and German National Identity, 1870–1895
Authors: Unangst Matthew
Published: September 2017

Before the commercialization of colonialism, Germans primarily engaged with the possibility of a German colonial empire through German explorers of Africa. This article examines the discourse about such men with an eye to the ways in which Germans formulated identities around them as celebrities in the earlyKaiserreich. A shift in the discourse is observable around the time of the beginning of formal German colonialism in the mid-1880s. To that point, observers had placed German explorers within an international scientific community defined by its cosmopolitanism. From the mid-1880s, explorers more often appeared as embodiments of a chauvinistic national identity that defined German colonialism as superior to other variants. This discursive shift was indicative, on the one hand, of the erosion of theBildungsbürgertum'scontrol of the meaning of German colonialism and, on the other, of the emergence of alternative colonialist identities through public engagement with the exploration of Africa.
Holocaust Scholarship and Politics in the Public Sphere: Reexamining the Causes, Consequences, and Controversy of theHistorikerstreitand the Goldhagen Debate
Authors: Port Andrew I.
Published: September 2017

Last year marked the thirtieth anniversary of the so-calledHistorikerstreit(historians’ quarrel), as well as the twentieth anniversary of the lively debate sparked by the publication in 1996 of Daniel J. Goldhagen'sHitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust. To mark the occasion,Central European History(CEH) has invited a group of seven specialists from Australia, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States to comment on the nature, stakes, and legacies of the two controversies, which attracted a great deal of both scholarly and popular attention at the time. To set the stage, the following introduction provides a brief overview of the two debates, followed by some personal reflections.
Inter-Asian Concepts for Mobile Societies
Authors: Ho Engseng
Published: September 2017

This essay proposes that the study of Asia, thought of as an Inter-Asian space, can provide concepts that shed light on the social shapes of societies that are mobile, spatially expansive, and interactive with one other. Inter-Asia, an old world crisscrossed by interactions between parts that have known and recognized one another for centuries, provides an unmatched depth and breadth of mobile experience and material. Such material can be recognized if seen through concepts designed to bring out the shapes of mobile societies, and to analyze their dynamics. These concepts include mobility, disaggregation-reaggregation, connection, circulation, partial societies, transregional axis/intermediate scale, and outside-in analysis. They are offered in the spirit of philosophical housekeeping, to clarify and crystalize what is innovative about recent Asian studies that move beyond globalization, and to further those efforts. They are ways out of the box of classical social theory's internalist, constitutionalist paradigms that hamper the Inter-Asia venture.
Specific amygdala response to masked fearful faces in post-traumatic stress relative to other anxiety disorders
Authors: Neumeister P. , Feldker K. , Heitmann C. Y. , Buff C. , Brinkmann L. , Bruchmann M. , Straube T.
Published: September 2017

Background

Altered amygdala activation to fear-related stimuli has been proposed to be a potential neural correlate of heightened threat sensitivity in anxiety- and stress-related disorders. However, the role of stimulus awareness and disorder specificity remains widely unclear. Here we investigated amygdala responses to conscious and unconscious fearful faces in patients suffering from panic disorder (PD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and in a large sample of healthy controls (HC).

Methods

During event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging participants (n = 120; 20 PD, 20 GAD, 20 PTSD, 60 HC) were confronted with briefly presented fearful faces, neutral faces, and non-faces in a backward masking paradigm. The design allowed for the analysis of trial-by-trial face detection performance and amygdala responses to fearful v. neutral faces.

Results

All participants exhibited increased amygdala activation to fearful v. neutral faces during conscious trials. Specifically during unconscious face processing, the PTSD, compared with all other groups, showed higher right basolateral (BLA) amygdala activity to fearful v. neutral faces.

Conclusions

The present study shows that BLA amygdala hyperactivity during unconscious, but not conscious, processing of fearful faces differentiates PTSD from the investigated disorders. This finding suggests an automatic and specific neural hyper-responsivity to general fear cues in PTSD and supports the idea of categorical differences between PTSD and other anxiety-related disorders.
Adverse life events, psychiatric history, and biological predictors of postpartum depression in an ethnically diverse sample of postpartum women
Authors: Guintivano J. , Sullivan P. F. , Stuebe A. M. , Penders T. , Thorp J. , Rubinow D. R. , Meltzer-Brody S.
Published: September 2017

Background

Race, psychiatric history, and adverse life events have all been independently associated with postpartum depression (PPD). However, the role these play together in Black and Latina women remains inadequately studied. Therefore, we performed a case–control study of PPD, including comprehensive assessments of symptoms and biomarkers, while examining the effects of genetic ancestry.

Methods

We recruited our sample (549 cases, 968 controls) at 6 weeks postpartum from obstetrical clinics in North Carolina. PPD status was determined using the MINI-plus. Psychiatric history was extracted from medical records. Participants were administered self-report instruments to assess depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) and adverse life events. Levels of estradiol, progesterone, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, oxytocin, and allopregnanalone were assayed. Principal components from genotype data were used to estimate genetic ancestry and logistic regression was used to identify predictors of PPD.

Results

This population was racially diverse (68% Black, 13% Latina, 18% European). Genetic ancestry was not a predictor of PPD. Case status was predicted by a history of major depression (p= 4.01E-14), lifetime anxiety disorder diagnosis (p= 1.25E-34), and adverse life events (p= 6.06E-06). There were no significant differences between groups in any hormones or neurosteroids.

Conclusions

Psychiatric history and multiple exposures to adverse life events were significant predictors of PPD in a population of minority and low-income women. Genetic ancestry and hormone levels were not predictive of case status. Increased genetic vulnerability in conjunction with risk factors may predict the onset of PPD, whereas genetic ancestry does not appear predictive.
Polycrystalline materials analysis using the Maia pixelated energy-dispersive X-ray area detector
Authors: Kirkwood Henry J , de Jonge Martin D , Howard Daryl L , Ryan Chris G , van Riessen Grant , Hofmann Felix , Rowles Matthew R , Paradowska Anna M , Abbey Brian
Published: September 2017

Elemental, chemical, and structural analysis of polycrystalline materials at the micron scale is frequently carried out using microfocused synchrotron X-ray beams, sometimes on multiple instruments. The Maia pixelated energy-dispersive X-ray area detector enables the simultaneous collection of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and diffraction because of the relatively large solid angle and number of pixels when compared with other systems. The large solid angle also permits extraction of surface topography because of changes in self-absorption. This work demonstrates the capability of the Maia detector for simultaneous measurement of XRF and diffraction for mapping the short- and long-range order across the grain structure in a Ni polycrystalline foil.