bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leucobacter musarum subsp. musarum sp. nov., subsp. nov., Leucobacter musarum subsp. japonicus subsp. nov., and Leucobacter celer subsp. astrifaciens subsp. nov., three nematopathogenic bacteria isolated from Caenorhabditis, with an emended description of Leucobacter celer
Authors: Clark Laura C. , Hodgkin Jonathan
Published: August 2015

Three Gram-stain-positive, irregular-rod-shaped, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacteria were isolated from nematodes collected from Santa Antao, Cabo Verde (CBX151T, CBX152T) and Kakegawa, Japan (CBX130T). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strains CBX130T, CBX151T and CBX152T were shown to belong to the genus Leucobacter. This affiliation was supported by chemotaxonomic data (2,4-diaminobutyric acid in the cell wall; major respiratory quinones MK-10 and MK-11; major polar lipids phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol; major fatty acids anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0). Strains CBX130T and CBX152T were found to share salient characteristics. Based on morphological, physiological, chemotaxonomic and biochemical analysis, strain CBX152T represents a novel species of the genus Leucobacter, for which the name Leucobacter musarum sp. nov. (type strain CBX152T = DSM 27160T = CIP 110721T) is proposed. Two subspecies of Leucobacter musarum sp. nov. are proposed: Leucobacter musarum sp. nov. subsp. musarum subsp. nov. (type strain CBX152T = DSM 27160T = CIP 110721T) and Leucobacter musarum sp. nov. subsp. japonicus subsp. nov. (type strain CBX130T = DSM 27158T = CIP 110719T). The third novel strain, CBX151T, showed genetic similarities with Leucobacter celer NAL101T indicating that these strains belong to the same species. Based on morphological, physiological, chemotaxonomic and biochemical differences it is proposed to split the species Leucobacter celer into two novel subspecies, Leucobacter celer subsp. celer subsp. nov. (type strain NAL101T = KACC 14220T = JCM 16465T) and Leucobacter celer subsp. astrifaciens subsp. nov. (type strain CBX151T = DSM 27159T = CIP 110720T), and to emend the description of Leucobacter celer
Shin et al. 2011.
Spirosoma aerolatum sp. nov., isolated from a motor car air conditioning system
Authors: Kim Dong-Uk , Lee Hyosun , Kim Song-Gun , Ahn Jae-Hyung , Yoon Park So , Ka Jong-Ok
Published: August 2015

A Gram-stain-negative, yellow-pigmented bacterial strain, designated PR1012KT, was isolated from a motor car evaporator core collected in Korea. Cells of the strain were facultatively anaerobic, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped. The strain grew at 10–40 °C (optimum, 25 °C), at pH 6.5–8.0 (optimum, pH 7.0–8.0) and in the presence of 0–1 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetically, the strain was closely related to members of the genus Spirosoma (97.50–90.74 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities) and showed highest sequence similarity to Spirosoma panaciterrae DSM 21099T (97.50 %). Its predominant fatty acids included summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C16 : 1ω5c, iso-C15 : 0 and summed feature 4 (iso-C17 : 1 I and/or anteiso B) and it had MK-7 as the major menaquinone. The polar lipids present included phosphatidylethanolamine, one unknown aminophospholipid, two unknown aminolipids and five unknown polar lipids. The DNA G+C content of this strain was 54 mol%. Based on phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain PR1012KT represents a novel species in the genus Spirosoma, for which the name Spirosoma aerolatum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is PR1012KT ( = KACC 17939T = NBRC 110794T).
Myroides indicus sp. nov., isolated from garden soil
Authors: Ram Hari , Kumar Alok , Thomas Lebin , Dastager Syed G. , Mawlankar Rahul , Singh Ved Pal
Published: August 2015

A novel aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped, catalase- and oxidase-positive bacterial strain, designated UKS3T, was isolated from garden soil, and subjected to polyphasic taxonomic analysis. Strain UKS3T formed whitish, viscous colonies on nutrient agar and was Gram-staining negative. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence, showed that maximum pairwise similarity occurs with representatives of the genus Myroides. The most closely related species include Myroides marinus JS-08T (92.7 % sequence similarity), Myroides phaeus MY15T (92.7 %), Myroides odoratus DSM 2801T (91.5 %) and Myroides odoratimimus CCUG 39352T (91.4 %). Strain UKS3T contained menaquinone-6 (MK-6) as the major respiratory quinone and iso-C15 : 0 (40.2 %), anteiso-C15 : 0 (9.4 %) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH (8.5 %) as major fatty acids. Phosphatidylethanolamine, phospholipids and three aminolipids were the major polar lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain UKS3T was 36.8 ± 2.0 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular analysis, strain UKS3T represents a novel species of the genus Myroides, for which the name Myroides indicus sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is UKS3T ( = DSM 28213T = NCIM 5555T ).
Can mindfulness meditation alter consciousness? An integrative interpretation
Authors: Manuello Jordi , Vercelli Ugo , Nani Andrea , Costa Tommaso , Cauda Franco
Published: August 2015

Mindfulness meditation has been practiced in the East for more than two millennia, but in last years also Western neurscientists drown their attention to it. Mindfulness basically refers to moment to moment awareness. In this review we summarize different hypotheses concerning effects of mindfulness meditation practice and cerebral correlates accounting for these; furthermore we expose some of the most relevant theories dealing with different aspects of consciousness. Finally we propose an integration of mindfulness meditation with consciousness, supported by the identification of brain areas involved in both of them, namely Anterior Cingular Cortex (ACC), Posterior Cingular Cortex (PCC), Insula and Thalamus.
S/HIC: Robust identification of soft and hard sweeps using machine learning
Authors: Schrider Daniel R. , Kern Andrew D.
Published: August 2015

Detecting the targets of adaptive natural selection from whole genome sequencing data is a central problem for population genetics. However, to date most methods have shown sub-optimal performance under realistic demographic scenarios. Moreover, over the past decade there has been a renewed interest in determining the importance of selection from standing variation in adaptation of natural populations, yet very few methods for inferring this model of adaptation at the genome scale have been introduced. Here we introduce a new method, S/HIC, which uses supervised machine learning to precisely infer the location of both hard and soft selective sweeps. We show that S/HIC has unrivaled accuracy for detecting sweeps under demographic histories that are relevant to human populations, and distinguishing sweeps from linked as well as neutrally evolving regions. Moreover we show that S/HIC is uniquely robust among its competitors to model misspecification. Thus even if the true demographic model of a population differs catastrophically from that specified by the user, S/HIC still retains impressive discriminatory power. Finally we apply S/HIC to the case of resequencing data from human chromosome 18 in a European population sample and demonstrate that we can reliably recover selective sweeps that have been identified earlier using less specific and sensitive methods.
The role of oxygen in avascular tumor growth
Authors: Grimes David Robert , Kannan Pavitra , McIntyre Alan , Kavanagh Anthony , Siddiky Abul , Wigfield Simon , Harris Adrian , Partridge Mike
Published: August 2015

The oxygen status of a tumor has significant clinical implications for treatment prognosis, with well-oxygenated subvolumes responding markedly better to radiotherapy than poorly supplied regions. Oxygen is essential for tumor growth, yet estimation of local oxygen distribution can be difficult to ascertainin situ, due to chaotic patterns of vasculature. It is possible to avoid this confounding influence by using avascular tumor models, such as tumor spheroids, a much better approximation of realistic tumor dynamics than monolayers, where oxygen supply can be described by diffusion alone. Similar to insitutumours, spheroids exhibit an approximately sigmoidal growth curve, often approximated and fitted by logistic and Gompertzian sigmoid functions. These describe the basic rate of growth well, but do not offer an explicitly mechanistic explanation. This work examines the oxygen dynamics of spheroids and demonstrates that this growth can be derived mechanistically with cellular doubling time and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) being key parameters. The model is fitted to growth curves for a range of cell lines and derived values of OCR are validated using clinical measurement. Finally, we illustrate how changes in OCR due to gemcitabine treatment can be directly inferred using this model.
A fluorescent paramagnetic Mn metal–organic framework based on semi-rigid pyrene tetracarboxylic acid: sensing of solvent polarity and explosive nitroaromatics
Authors: Bajpai Alankriti , Mukhopadhyay Arindam , Krishna Manchugondanahalli Shivakumar , Govardhan Savitha , Moorthy Jarugu Narasimha
Published: August 2015

An Mn metal–organic framework (Mn-MOF), Mn-L, based on a pyrene-tetraacid linker (H4L), displays a respectable fluorescence quantum yield of 8.3% in spite of the presence of the paramagnetic metal ions, due presumably to fixation of the metal ions in geometries that do not allow complete energy/charge-transfer quenching. Remarkably, the porous Mn-LMOF with ∼25% solvent-accessible volume exhibits a heretofore unprecedented solvent-dependent fluorescence emission maximum, permitting its use as a probe of solvent polarity; the emission maxima in different solvents correlate excellently with Reichardt's solvent polarity parameter (ETN). Further, the applicability of Mn-Lto the sensing of nitroaromaticsviafluorescence quenching is demonstrated; the detection limit for TNT is shown to be 125 p.p.m. The results bring out the fact that MOFs based on paramagnetic metal ions can indeed find application when the quenching mechanisms are attenuated by certain geometries of the organic linkers of the MOF.
A zinc(II) metal–organic framework with a novel topology formed from 4,4′,4′′-nitrilotribenzoate and 4,4′-bipyridine ligands
Authors: Zhao Meng , Su Jian , Zhang Jun , Wu Jie-Ying , Tian Yu-Peng
Published: August 2015

A metal–organic framework with a novel topology, poly[sesqui(μ2-4,4′-bipyridine)bis(dimethylformamide)bis(μ4-4,4′,4′′-nitrilotribenzoato)trizinc(II)], [Zn3(C21H12NO6)2(C10H8N2)1.5(C3H7NO)2]n, was obtained by the solvothermal method using 4,4′,4′′-nitrilotribenzoic acid and 4,4′-bipyridine (bipy). The structure, determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, possesses three kinds of crystallographically independent ZnIIcations, as well as binuclear Zn2(COO)4(bipy)2paddle-wheel clusters, and can be reduced to a novel topology of a (3,3,6)-connected 3-nodal net, with the Schläfli symbol {5.62}4{52.6}4{58.87} according to the topological analysis.
Corrosion investigations on secondary treated paper mill effluents
Authors: Ram Chhotu , Sharma Chhaya , Singh A K
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to report on corrosivity of secondary-stage paper mill effluent and corrosion performance of stainless steels.

Design/methodology/approach

– For this purpose, immersion test and electrochemical polarization tests were conducted in mill and synthetic effluent to evaluate the uniform and localized corrosion.

Findings

– Corrosivity of mill effluent has been compared with synthetic and primary-stage effluent of the same mill. It is observed that anions present in them, viz. SO4−, PO34−, NO2− and NO3−, impart inhibition, whereas Cl− and chlorophenols enhance the corrosivity of the effluent. The overall effect of various components was reduction in corrosivity of secondary mill effluent.

Originality/value

– These observations can be useful for material selection and helpful in corrosion mitigation in paper mill effluent treatment plants.
Multi-criteria decision making for supplier selection using fuzzy AHP approach
Authors: Yadav Vinod , Sharma Milind Kumar
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a multi-criteria supplier selection model using fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) approach for a leading automobile company in India.

Design/methodology/approach

– FAHP approach followed by a sensitivity analysis has been used.

Findings

– In this study, a FAHP-based supplier selection model is proposed to provide useful insights in choosing appropriate suppliers in dynamic situations in order to enhance long-term relationship with them.

Practical implications

– This study proposes a supplier selection model for an automobile industry which often faces heterogeneous supply environments. This model may have a high acceptability where a large number of suppliers are available to supply the materials or provide the services. As analytic hierarchy process is the most widely used methodology for supplier selection, however, it becomes less efficient in case of inconsistencies observed in the data. However a FAHP-based approach may overcome this difficulty.

Originality/value

– It contributes to supplier selection process and points out the importance of supplier selection problem, especially in the context of multi-criteria decision-making in Indian scenario.
Assessing maturity development of purchasing management in construction
Authors: van Lith Jan , Voordijk Hans , Matos Castano Julieta , Vos Bart
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– Prime contractors spent a substantial part of their turnover on purchasing. The management of the purchasing function therefore has a large influence on the overall performance of a prime contractor. The more developed the purchasing function is, the greater its contribution to success of the companies. The purpose of this paper is to measure and explain the development in maturity of the purchasing function in construction firms.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on a literature review, a theoretical framework for the assessment of purchasing maturity is provided first. Then a longitudinal multiple case study is executed in order to assess the maturity development of the purchasing function in seven construction companies. Results are compared with a historical baseline assessment.

Findings

– The results demonstrate an increase in the maturity of the purchasing function in general and in particular in the management of strategic relations. The case companies have reached a maturity in which they start to coordinate activities in their supply chains. Increased use of IT solutions enables a more integrated approach of the construction process.

Practical implications

– IT and in particular Building Information Modelling pave the path towards an integrated supply chain, which in turn enables the reduction of waste in the processes. Nevertheless, companies still struggle with the tension between project-based flexibility and long-term relations with suppliers.

Originality/value

– The development of purchasing maturity was measured in a baseline measurement and in a second assessment performed five years later by using the exact same model and exact same case companies.
Homicide-suicide offences: description, classification and short case studies
Authors: Sturup Joakim , Caman Shilan
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– Although homicide-suicide (H-S) offences are rare, they have remarkably tragic consequences. The purposes of this paper are to: examine the background characteristics of H-S offenders (including previous offending history and psychiatric elements); describe the crime-scene behavior and examine the motivational aspects of the offences; and to establish the reliability in the outlined typologies.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study consists of case series of all H-S offenders in Sweden, January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009 (n=13), and data was collected from medico-legal autopsy reports, police investigations and three national databases.

Findings

– Of all Swedish homicides, 5.5 percent consisted of H-S cases, and the rate of H-S was 0.05 per 100,000 inhabitants. Seven of the offenders had had previous contact with a psychiatric service, however, the average time between the last contact and the offence was slightly more than four years. Three of the offenders had previously been convicted of a violent crime and nine of the 13 offenders were involved in serious marital conflicts during the time of the offence. In conclusion, the study supports the notion that cases of H-S are mainly associated with intimate partner homicides, rather than suicide or other homicides. However, the offences were not always directly aimed toward the (former) spouse, but instead carried out through a proxy (such as a common child).

Originality/value

– The study adds in-depth knowledge by using a qualitative approach in an otherwise scarce area of research.
New eco-friendly anticorrosive core-shell pigments
Authors: Ahmed Nivin M , Abd El-Gawad Walaa M. , Youssef Elham A. , Souaya Eglal R.
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present the preparation of core-shell ferrites/kaolin pigments and comparing their efficiency in protecting metal substrates to original ferrites which were also prepared. Core-shell structured particles are recently gaining lots of importance due to their exciting applications in different fields; these particles are constructed from cores and shells of different chemical compositions which show ultimately distinctive properties of varied materials different from their counterparts. The new core-shell pigment is based on shell of different ferrites that comprises only 10-20 per cent of the whole pigment on kaolin (cores) which is a cheap and abundant ore that comprises 80-90 per cent of the prepared pigment. The new pigments do not only comprise two different components, but they also contain pigment and extender in the same compound; their loadings in the paint formulations ranges from 50 and 75 per cent of the whole pigment. The work showed that these eco-friendly and cheap core-shell pigments are comparable in their efficiency to that of ferrites in protecting steel substrates.

Design/methodology/approach

– The different ferrites and ferrites/kaolin pigments were characterized using different analytical and spectrophotometric techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDAX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Evaluation of these pigments was done using international standard testing methods (ASTM). After evaluation, the pigments were incorporated in solvent-based paint formulations based on medium oil-modified soya-bean dehydrated castor oil alkyd resin. The physico-mechanical properties of dry films and their corrosion properties using accelerated laboratory test in 3.5 per cent NaCl for 28 days were determined.

Findings

– The results of this work revealed that ferrite/kaolin core-shell pigments were close in their performance to that of the ferrite pigments in protection of steel, and at the same time, they verified good physico-mechanical properties.

Practical implications

– Treated kaolin can be applied in many industries beside pigment manufacture and paint formulations; it can be applied as reinforcing filler in rubber, plastics and ceramic composites. Also, it is applied in paper filling, paper coatings and electrical insulation.

Originality/value

– Ferrite and ferrite/kaolin are environmentally friendly and can replace other hazardous pigments (e.g. chromates) with almost the same quality in their performance; also, they can be used in industries other than paints, for example paper, rubber and plastics composites.
On Murray Jackson's 1961 ‘Chair, couch and countertransference’
Authors: Connolly Angela
Published: August 2015

One of the problems facing psychoanalysts of all schools is that theory has evolved at a much faster pace than practice. Whereas there has been an explosion of theory, practice has remained, at least officially, static and unchanging. It is in this sense that Murray Jackson's 1961 paper is still relevant today. Despite the rise of the new relational and intersubjective paradigms, most psychoanalysts, and not a few Jungian analysts, still seem to feel that the couch is an essential component of the analytical setting and process. If the use of the couch is usually justified by the argument that it favours regression, facilitates analytical reverie and protects the patient from the influence of the analyst, over time many important psychoanalysts have come to challenge this position. Increasingly these analysts suggest that the use of the couch may actually be incompatible with the newer theoretical models. This contention is strengthened by some of the findings coming from the neurosciences and infant research. This underlines the necessity of empirical research to verify the clinical effectiveness of these different positions, couch or face‐to‐face, but it is exactly this type of research that is lacking.
When symptom is symbol: some comments on Rosemary Gordon's, ‘Masochism: the shadow side of the archetypal need to venerate and worship’
Authors: Stein Murray
Published: August 2015

This paper is a commentary on Rosemary Gordon's paper, ‘Masochism: the shadow side of the archetypal need to venerate and worship’, with a suggestion for an alternative interpretation of masochism as a part of a sado‐masochistic couple. Gordon postulates an archetypal need to venerate and worship that can be hidden in the shadow and distorted in such practices as sexual masochism. Her paper also offers several avenues of exploration for further studies in connection with the phenomenon of masochism, including sexual perversion (‘paraphilia’), chronic psychological victimhood, PTSD and traumatology, religious extremist behaviour such as self‐flagellation, transformation in the individuation process and numinous experience. An extension of her hypothesis to include religious problems of modernity is suggested.
Inter‐rater Reliability of Criteria‐Based Content Analysis of Children's Statements of Abuse
Authors: Niveau Gérard , Lacasa Marie‐Josée , Berclaz Michel , Germond Michèle
Published: August 2015

The evaluation of children's statements of sexual abuse cases in forensic cases is critically important and must and reliable. Criteria‐based content analysis (CBCA) is the main component of the statement validity assessment (SVA), which is the most frequently used approach in this setting. This study investigated the inter‐rater reliability (IRR) of CBCA in a forensic context. Three independent raters evaluated the transcripts of 95 statements of sexual abuse. IRR was calculated for each criterion, total score, and overall evaluation. The IRR was variable for the criteria, with several being unsatisfactory. But high IRR was found for the total CBCA scores (Kendall's W = 0.84) and for overall evaluation (Kendall's W = 0.65). Despite some shortcomings, SVA remains a robust method to be used in the comprehensive evaluation of children's statements of sexual abuse in the forensic setting. However, the low IRR of some CBCA criteria could justify some technical improvements.
Determination of Nitrite in Whole Blood by High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography with Electrochemical Detection and a Case of Nitrite Poisoning
Authors: Yan Hui , Zhuo Xiangyi , Shen Baohua , Xiang Ping , Shen Min
Published: August 2015

Although nitrite is widely used in meat processing, it is a major toxicity hazard to children and is responsible for the blue‐baby syndrome. A simple and effective method to determine nitrite in whole blood has been devised using ion chromatography with suppressed conductivity detection. The blood sample was deproteinized by adding acetonitrile and purified with mini‐cartridges to remove hydrophobic compounds, chloride ions, and metal ions. An aliquot of the filtrate was injected onto the ion chromatography. The retention time for nitrite was 13.8 min and the detection limit of nitrite in whole blood was 0.4 μmol/L. The calibration curve was linear (r2 = 0.9999) over the concentration working range. The blood nitrite concentration of a victim who attempted suicide by ingesting sodium nitrite powder was determined using the present method. The basal levels for nitrite in human blood was determined with 7.1 ± 0.9 μmol/L (n = 12).
Getting to the First Handshake: Enhancing Security by Initiating Cooperation in Transboundary River Basins
Authors: Petersen‐Perlman Jacob D. , Wolf Aaron T.
Published: August 2015

How does transboundary water cooperation begin at the initial stages, and how can third parties help to foster said cooperation? Many nations with transboundary waters do not cooperate or have ceased cooperation. Yet cooperation often prevails, resulting in 688 water‐related treaties signed from 1820 to 2007. We address the following: by which practices can development partners best design and implement cooperative projects at the state level to enhance basin water security in the earliest stages? This article identifies strategies for initiating cooperation and lessons drawn from reviewing select cases. We compiled from the Oregon State University Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database all transboundary water resources projects over the last decade with multinational participation. We selected 10 case studies that enhance water security that fit the following filtering criteria: (1) Funding exclusively/primarily from outside sources, (2) Including nonofficial stakeholders in project design/implementation, (3) Absence of formal relations around water resources between or among the riparian nations before the project was discussed, (4) Project design possibly enhancing hydropolitical relations. Findings suggest that to enhance water security, project designs should respect participating riparians' autonomies, create basin‐wide networks of scientists, allow for each partner to garner responsibility for project activities, and consult a diverse group of stakeholders.
Use of alveolar distraction osteogenesis for implant placement: a case report with eight‐year follow‐up
Authors: Bozkaya S , Durmuşlar MC , Çakir M , Erkmen E
Published: August 2015

Insufficient alveolar ridge width may impede the success of dental implants. Techniques for resolving this problem include autologous bone grafts, guided bone regeneration, bone splitting and bone spreading techniques. Recently, alveolar distraction osteogenesis has become an alternative method for alveolar augmentation. We propose the use of alveolar bone distraction for insufficient alveolar ridge width. A healthy 33‐year‐old female presented with missing teeth to our clinic. Clinical and radiographic examination revealed the alveolar ridge was too narrow for placement of dental implants. Therefore, horizontal distraction osteogenesis of the posterior mandibular ridge was chosen for augmentation. Two months later, two implants were placed. No significant marginal bone resorption was seen around the implants eight years after placement. Our results indicate that horizontal alveolar distraction is recommended to increase ridge width and allow placement of standard dental implants.
Long‐term outcomes of laparoscopic repair of cystocoele
Authors: Bedford Nicholas D. , Seman Elvis I. , O'shea Robert T. , Keirse Marc J.N.C.
Published: August 2015

Background

There is little information on the effectiveness of laparoscopic techniques for native tissue repair of cystocoele.

Aim

To assess the long‐term outcome of laparoscopic cystocoele repair.

Methods

Two hundred and twenty‐three women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse underwent laparoscopic paravaginal repair and treatment of associated conditions. Women were assessed pre‐operatively and postoperatively at 6 weeks, 6 months, 12 months and then annually or biannually with pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POPQ) and subjective assessment at each visit.

Results

Median follow‐up was 5.2 years (range: 1–12 years) with 140 women (63%) followed for at least 5 years. During follow‐up, 79% of women developed prolapse of at least POPQ stage 2 in one or more compartments and 58% became symptomatic again. Overall, 48% underwent further prolapse surgery, but only 24% of women had an anterior prolapse beyond the hymen. Thirty per cent eventually had a further cystocoele repair.

Conclusion

Long‐term follow‐up of laparoscopic cystocoele repair shows that cystocoeles are difficult to repair successfully.
Biomedicine, the whiteness of sleep, and the wages of spatiotemporal normativity in the United States
Authors: WOLF‐MEYER MATTHEW
Published: August 2015

The racialization of individuals in the contemporary United States is increasingly accomplished through institutional actors, including scientists and physicians. As genetic health risks, chronic disease treatments, and pharmaceuticals come to define Americans’ understanding of themselves, a fundamental shift is occurring in the way medicine is practiced and its role in the production of subjectivity. Underlying these changes is an expectation of orderly bodies—of “white” bodies that exemplify social and cultural norms of biology and behavior. Fundamental to U.S. medical ideas of normativity is that the white heteronormative subject is the standard against which disorderly and nonwhite subjects are to be judged. I explore these ideas through the history and contemporary world of sleep: the clinical production and interpretation of related scientific data, advertising use of images of sleep‐disordered patients who have been “cured,” and experiences of nonwhite Americans within mainstream sleep medicine. [biopolitics, critical race theory, science studies, abstraction, normalcy, capacity, desire]
The doctor's political body: Doctor–patient interactions and sociopolitical belonging in Venezuelan state clinics
Authors: COOPER AMY
Published: August 2015

Patients of Venezuelan state clinics ascribe meanings to doctor–patient interactions that reverberate beyond the immediacy of the clinical encounter to shape political subjectivities. They seek not just medical goods and services from clinical interactions but also expressions of recognition, respect, care, and solidarity from doctors. I argue that patients who had long resented what they saw as the Venezuelan state's broken promises to use national oil wealth to provide for its citizens now read its efforts to address sociopolitical inequalities in the bodily dispositions of its medical workers. Combining anthropological approaches to doctor–patient interactions and to medical embodiment, I show how doctors’ embodied practices can render biomedical encounters politically significant for patients, activating or foreclosing a sense of sociopolitical belonging. In doing so, I demonstrate how sociopolitical orders are constructed and challenged through the intimacies of biomedical practice.
“The goat that died for family”: Animal sacrifice and interspecies kinship in India's Central Himalayas
Authors: GOVINDRAJAN RADHIKA
Published: August 2015

Animal sacrifice can be productively theorized as a practice of kindred intimacy between human and nonhuman animal. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in India's Central Himalayas, I trace how the ritual sacrifice of goats in the region's mountain villages acquires power and meaning through its anchoring in a realm of interspecies kinship. This kinship between humans and animals is created and sustained through everyday practices of intercorporeal engagement and care. I contend, in fact, that animal sacrifice is itself constitutive of interspecies kin relations. The spectacular act of violence at the heart of sacrifice—the beheading of the sacrificial animal—is crucial to the constitution of kin solidarity between human sacrificer and animal victim. From this perspective, animal sacrifice creates a world rich with the possibility of mutual response and recognition between different beings entangled in intimate and complex ways. [sacrifice, human–animal, interspecies kinship, South Asia, relations of care, religion, Himalayas]
A Case Study for Modelling Cancer Incidence Using Bayesian Spatio‐Temporal Models
Authors: Kang Su Yun , McGree James , Baade Peter , Mengersen Kerrie
Published: August 2015

Researchers familiar with spatial models are aware of the challenge of choosing the level of spatial aggregation. Few studies have been published on the investigation of temporal aggregation and its impact on inferences regarding disease outcome in space–time analyses. We perform a case study for modelling individual disease outcomes using several Bayesian hierarchical spatio‐temporal models, while taking into account the possible impact of spatial and temporal aggregation. Using longitudinal breast cancer data from South East Queensland, Australia, we consider both parametric and non‐parametric formulations for temporal effects at various levels of aggregation. Two temporal smoothness priors are considered separately; each is modelled with fixed effects for the covariates and an intrinsic conditional autoregressive prior for the spatial random effects. Our case study reveals that different model formulations produce considerably different model performances. For this particular dataset, a classical parametric formulation that assumes a linear time trend produces the best fit among the five models considered. Different aggregation levels of temporal random effects were found to have little impact on model goodness‐of‐fit and estimation of fixed effects.
Seasonal foraging patterns of forest‐grazing Japanese Black heifers with increased plasma total antioxidant capacity
Authors: Haga Satoshi , Nakano Miwa , Nakao Seiji , Hirano Kiyoshi , Yamamoto Yoshito , Sasaki Hiroyuki , Ishizaki Hiroshi
Published: August 2015

Forest‐grazing enables the intake of high total antioxidant capacity (TAC) plants that might be beneficial for the TAC status of cattle. This study evaluated the relation between the seasonal foraging patterns of forest‐grazing Japanese Black (JB) heifers or the TAC levels in shrubs and trees and the changes of plasma TAC. We examined 12 JB heifers, four each of which were allocated to forest‐grazing (F), pasture‐grazing, and pen‐housed groups. The plasma TAC level in F heifers on July 26, August 13, 30 and September 17 were significantly higher than those on April 27 and June 4 (P < 0.05). In F group, the mean rates of foraging frequency (FF) of shrubs and trees during July 5–8 and September 13–16 were much higher than that during May 31–June 3 (P < 0.05). The rate of FF of grass significantly decreased later in the season (P < 0.05). The mean TAC levels in these shrubs and trees were higher than those in grasses, concentrates, and timothy hay. Results suggest that an important factor in the increase of plasma TAC in forest‐grazing cattle might be the increased foraging of TAC‐rich shrubs and trees during summer–fall.
LCZ696 (Valsartan/Sacubitril) – A Possible New Treatment for Hypertension and Heart Failure
Authors: Andersen Mathilde Borring , Simonsen Ulf , Wehland Markus , Pietsch Jessica , Grimm Daniela
Published: August 2015

The aim of this MiniReview was to introduce the newly invented dual‐acting drug valsartan/sacubitril (LCZ696), which combines an angiotensin receptor blocker (valsartan) with sacubitril, a specific inhibitor of the neutral endopeptidase (NEP) that degrades vasoactive peptides, including natriuretic peptides ANP and BNP, but also glucagon, enkephalins and bradykinin, among others. The MiniReview presents the data of four available trials NCT01193101, NCT00549770, NCT00887588 and NCT01035255 and provides the current knowledge about LCZ696 effects in patients with hypertension and heart failure. Presently, patients suffering from hypertension and heart failure are treated with ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor antagonists often in combination with other drugs. These current medications lead to a reduction in blood pressure in hypertensive patients and a decreased mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, but not in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. LCZ696 had been tested to utilize the beneficial properties of natriuretic peptides in combination with angiotensin receptor antagonism. It induces even greater blood pressure reductions and decreased mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, while patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction show lowered blood pressure and decreased NT‐pro‐BNP levels. Although long‐term studies remain to be performed, these initial data suggest that there is a potential clinical benefit of LCZ696 in the treatment of hypertension and heart failure.
Comparing 2D and 3D game‐based learning environments in terms of learning gains and student perceptions
Authors: Ak Oguz , Kutlu Birgul
Published: August 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of traditional, 2D and 3D game‐based environments assessed by student achievement scores and to reveal student perceptions of the value of these learning environments. A total of 60 university students from the Faculty of Education who were registered in three sections of a required instructional design course participated in the study. Sections were randomly assigned to three groups: traditional, 2D and 3D game‐based learning environments. “Mayer's Multimedia Design Principles” learning unit was presented to all groups. Data were obtained through a pre‐test, a post‐test and a questionnaire. Results revealed that all learning environments supported learning gains, with no differences among them. Additionally, participants valued 2D game‐based environments more than 3D game‐based and traditional classroom environments.
McVarish, Judith & Milne, Catherine ed (2014) Teacher educators rethink self‐assessment in higher educationPeter Lang (New York & Bern) isbn 978‐1‐4331‐0835‐8 154 pp £33.80 http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=produkt&pk=76833&concordeid=310834
Authors: Cowan John
Published: August 2015

Probably a useful text for student teachers, this is readable, detailed, and strong in its coverage of supportive reflection and the assembling of self‐assessed claims. Student engagement in formulating criteria and standards receives scant attention, though, as does the impact of self‐assessment on the quality of learning. The book is to read rather than to buy, therefore. Even then, if the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I advise that you will probably find only parts of it of interest or use.

John Cowan
Willis, Jerry W & Edwards, Claudia ed (2014) Action research: models, methods, and examplesIAP (Charlotte, NC & Eurospan, London) isbn 978‐1‐62396‐653‐3 342 pp $45.99 http://www.infoagepub.com/products/Action‐Research
Authors: Johnson Mike
Published: August 2015

This offers doctoral students a detailed, sympathetic and accessible overview of action research, broadly defined and illustrated with ten exemplar chapters. Three of these chapters are directly relevant to learning technology research. Recommended for institutional libraries, from where, if the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I strongly suggest that you arrange to borrow a copy for a while.

Mike Johnson
STRATEGIC INTERACTION AND CATCHING UP
Authors: Özer Mehmet , Sağlam Çağrı
Published: August 2015

In this study, we prove that the strategic interaction among agents differing in initial wealth levels leads the poor to be able to catch up with the rich, which is not the case for the standard Ramsey model where the initial wealth differences perpetuate. Extending the analysis to account for relative wealth concern and the adjustment cost of consumption, the strategic interaction among agents is shown to affect not only the distribution of wealth in the long run but also the transitional dynamics substantially. In particular, we show that structurally very simple frameworks may lead to limit cycles thanks to the strategic interaction among agents in the economy.
Screening adherence and cancer risk perceptions in colorectal cancer survivors with Lynch‐like syndrome
Authors: Katz L.H. , Burton‐Chase A.M. , Advani S. , Fellman B. , Polivka K.M. , Yuan Y. , Lynch P.M. , Peterson S.K.
Published: August 2015

Cancer screening recommendations for patients with Lynch‐like syndrome (LLS) are not well defined. We evaluated adherence to Lynch syndrome (LS) screening recommendations, cancer risk perceptions, and communication within the families among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors with LLS. Thirty‐four participants with LLS completed a questionnaire about risk perception, adherence to LS screening recommendations, and communication with relatives. Clinical data were obtained from medical records. Most participants (76%) believed they should undergo colonoscopy every 1–2 years. Only 41% correctly interpreted their genetic tests as uninformative negative or as variant of unknown significance for LS. Less than half had had an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for screening purpose. Among female participants, 86% had been screened for endometrial cancer (EC) and 71% for ovarian cancer. Most participants had informed relatives about the CRC diagnosis and advised them to undergo CRC screening, but only 50% advised female relatives to be screened for EC and only one‐third advised relatives to have genetic counseling. Most CRC survivors with LLS follow the same cancer screening recommended for LS patients but do not understand the meaning of LLS. Greater care must be devoted to communicating the implications of nondiagnostic germline mutation testing among patients with LLS.
Text analysis tools for identification of emerging topics and research gaps in conservation science
Authors: Westgate Martin J. , Barton Philip S. , Pierson Jennifer C. , Lindenmayer David B.
Published: August 2015

Keeping track of conceptual and methodological developments is a critical skill for research scientists, but this task is increasingly difficult due to the high rate of academic publication. As a crisis discipline, conservation science is particularly in need of tools that facilitate rapid yet insightful synthesis. We show how a common text‐mining method (latent Dirichlet allocation, or topic modeling) and statistical tests familiar to ecologists (cluster analysis, regression, and network analysis) can be used to investigate trends and identify potential research gaps in the scientific literature. We tested these methods on the literature on ecological surrogates and indicators. Analysis of topic popularity within this corpus showed a strong emphasis on monitoring and management of fragmented ecosystems, while analysis of research gaps suggested a greater role for genetic surrogates and indicators. Our results show that automated text analysis methods need to be used with care, but can provide information that is complementary to that given by systematic reviews and meta‐analyses, increasing scientists’ capacity for research synthesis.
Common genetic risk factors for coronary artery disease: new opportunities for prevention?
Authors: Hamrefors Viktor
Published: August 2015

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, with coronary artery disease (CAD) being the single leading cause of death. Better control of risk factors, enhanced diagnostic techniques and improved medical therapies have all substantially decreased the mortality of CAD in developed countries. However, CAD and other forms of atherosclerotic CVD are projected to remain the leading cause of death by 2030 and we face a number of challenges if the outcomes of CAD are to be further improved. The fact that a substantial fraction of high‐risk subjects do not reach treatment goals for important risk factors is one of these challenges. At the same time, there is also a non‐negotiable fraction of ‘concealed’ high‐risk subjects who are not detected by current risk algorithms and diagnostic modalities. In recent years, we have started to rapidly increase our knowledge of the framework of common genetics underlying CAD and atherosclerotic CVD in the population. In conjunction with modern diagnostic and therapeutic options, this new genetic knowledge may provide a valuable tool for further improvements in prevention. This review summarizes the recent findings from the search for common genetic risk factors for CAD. Furthermore, the author discusses how such recent findings could potentially be used in a number of clinical applications within CAD prevention, including in clinical risk stratification, in prediction of drug treatment response and in the search for targets for novel preventive therapies.
The role of natural disaster in individual and relational adjustment in Sri Lankan mothers following the 2004 tsunami
Authors: Banford Alyssa , Ivey David C. , Wickrama Thulitha , Fischer Judith , Prouty Anne , Smith Douglas
Published: August 2015

The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between maternal mental health distress symptoms, including depression and post‐traumatic stress disorder, the extent to which the presence of a child's disaster‐related physical health problem(s) have interfered with daily functioning, and family cohesion over time among Sri Lankan mothers who survived the tsunami on 26 December 2004. Study variables were measured using a self‐report questionnaire administered approximately four months after the event and three years later in summer 2008. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted. Path analysis was employed to assess the relationships between the key variables over time and the correlations in the study variables at each time point. Among other findings, the results of the path analysis indicated that post‐traumatic stress symptom distress four months after the disaster significantly predicted variance in family cohesion three years later. Clinical and empirical research implications are presented and discussed.
Effect of subcutaneous insulin detemir on glucose flux, lipolysis and electroencephalography in type 1 diabetes
Authors: Herring R. , Knight R. , Shojaee‐Moradie F. , Johnsen S. , Umpleby A. M. , Jackson N. , Jones R. , Dijk D.‐J. , Russell‐Jones D. L.
Published: August 2015

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of subcutaneous detemir on glucose flux, lipid metabolism and brain function. Twelve people with type 1 diabetes received, in random order, 0.5 units/kg body weight detemir or NPH insulin. Glucose concentration was clamped at 5 mmol/l then increased to 10 mmol/l. Glucose production rate (glucose Ra), glucose uptake (glucose Rd) and glycerol production (glycerol Ra) were measured with a constant intravenous infusion of [6,62H2]glucose and [2H5]glycerol. Electroencephalography direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) potentials were measured. While detemir induced similar effects on glucose Ra, glucose Rd and glycerol Ra during euglycaemia compared with NPH, it triggered a distinct negative shift in DC potentials, with a significant treatment effect in frontal cerebrocortical channels (p < 0.001). AC spectral power showed significant differences in theta and alpha frequencies during euglycaemia (p = 0.03). Subcutaneous detemir exerts different effects on brain function when compared with NPH in people with type 1 diabetes. This may be an important mechanism behind the limitation of weight gain with detemir.
Infection of Cedrus species by Dothistroma septosporum
Authors: Mullett M. S. , Fraser S.
Published: August 2015

Dothistroma septosporum, primarily a pathogen of Pinus foliage, was found on Cedrus atlantica var. glauca needles in the Cruikshank Botanic Garden in Aberdeen, Scotland. The susceptibility of three Cedrus species, Cedrus atlantica var. glauca, C. deodara and C. libani subsp. libani, was investigated by artificial inoculation. Dothistroma septosporum infection of all three Cedrus species was demonstrated, although disease severity was low, with less than 7% of needles developing acervuli after 10 weeks.