bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trade‐offs between physical and chemical carbon‐based leaf defence: of intraspecific variation and trait evolution
Authors: Eichenberg David , Purschke Oliver , Ristok Christian , Wessjohann Ludger , Bruelheide Helge
Published: September 2015

Despite recent advances in studies on trade‐offs between plant defence traits, little is known about whether trade‐offs reflect (i) evolutionary constraints at the species level or (ii) allocation constraints at the individual level. Here, we asked to which degree physical and chemical carbon‐based leaf defence traits covary within and across species.

We assessed leaf toughness, leaf total phenolic and tannin concentrations for 51 subtropical tree species. Species trait means, sample‐specific values and phylogenetically independent contrasts were used in regression analyses. Phylogenetic signals and trait evolution were assessed along the phylogeny.

Analyses of species‐level trait means revealed significant negative trait covariations between physical and chemical defence traits in analyses over all species. These covariations were inconsistent at the within‐species level. All three defence aspects showed strong phylogenetic signals, but differed in the degree of conservatism along the phylogeny. Inclusion of intraspecific trait variability significantly decreased the strength of these covariations. Strong negative covariations were detected between physical and chemical defence traits when phylogenetic non‐independence was accounted for.

Synthesis. We addressed two sources of variation (allocation and evolution) independently from each other in the context of trait interrelationships. The observed negative covariations hint at the existence of a trade‐off between physical and chemical defence traits. The finding that intraspecific trait variation contributed less to this relationship suggests that the trade‐off is dominated by evolutionary constraints rather than by carbon allocation constraints.
Respectability, Morality and Disgust in the Night-Time Economy: Exploring Reactions to ‘Lap Dance’ Clubs in England and Wales
Authors: Hubbard Phil , Colosi Rachela
Published: September 2015

The night-time economy is often described as repelling consumers fearful of the ‘undesirable Others’ imagined dominant within such time-spaces. In this paper we explore this by describing attitudes towards, and reactions to, one particularly contentious site: the ‘lap dance’ club. Often targeted by campaigners in England and Wales as a source of criminality and anti-sociality, in this paper we shift the focus from fear to disgust, and argue that Sexual Entertainment Venues (SEVs) are opposed on the basis of moral judgments that reflect distinctions of both class and gender. Drawing on documentary analysis, survey results and interview data collected during guided walks, we detail the concerns voiced by those anxious about the presence of lap dance or striptease clubs in their town or city, particularly the notion that they ‘lower the tone’ of particular streets or neighbourhoods. Our conclusion is that the opposition expressed to lap dance clubs is part of an attempt to police the boundaries of respectable masculinities and femininities, marginalizing the producers and consumers of sexual entertainment through ‘speech acts’ which identify such entertainment as unruly, vulgar and uncivilized. These findings are considered in the light of ongoing debates concerning the relations of morality, respectability and disgust.
The effect of gestational age and cervical length measurements in the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in twin pregnancies: an individual patient level meta‐analysis
Authors: Kindinger LM , Poon LC , Cacciatore S , MacIntyre DA , Fox NS , Schuit E , Mol BW , Liem S , Lim AC , Serra V , Perales A , Hermans F , Darzi A , Bennett P , Nicolaides KH , Teoh TG
Published: September 2015

Objective

To assess the effect of gestational age (GA) and cervical length (CL) measurements at transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) in the prediction of preterm birth in twin pregnancy.

Design

Individual patient data (IPD) meta‐analysis.

Setting

International multicentre study.

Population

Asymptomatic twin pregnancy.

Methods

MEDLINE and EMBASE searches were performed and IPD obtained from authors of relevant studies. Multinomial logistic regression analysis determined probabilities for birth at ≤28+0, 28+1 to 32+0, 32+1 to 36+0, and ≥36+1 weeks as a function of GA at screening and CL measurements.

Main outcome measures

Predicted probabilities for preterm birth at ≤28+0, 28+1 to 32+0, and 32+1 to 36+0.

Results

A total of 6188 CL measurements were performed on 4409 twin pregnancies in 12 studies. Both GA at screening and CL had a significant and non‐linear effect on GA at birth. The best prediction of birth at ≤28+0 weeks was provided by screening at ≤18+0 weeks (P < 0.001), whereas the best prediction of birth between 28+1 and 36+0 weeks was provided by screening at ≥24+0 weeks (P < 0.001). Negative prediction value of 100% for birth at ≤28+0 weeks is achieved at CL 65 mm and 43 mm at ultrasound GA at ≤18+0 weeks and at 22+1 to 24+0 weeks, respectively.

Conclusion

In twin pregnancies, prediction of preterm birth depends on both CL and the GA at screening. When CL is <30 mm, screening at ≤18+0 weeks is most predictive for birth at ≤28+0 weeks. Later screening at >22+0 weeks is most predictive of delivery at 28+1 to 36+0 weeks. In twins, we recommend CL screening in twins to commence from ≤18+0 weeks.

Tweetable abstract

An individual patient meta‐analysis assessing gestation and CL in the prediction of preterm birth in twins.
Maintenance tocolysis with nifedipine in threatened preterm labour: 2‐year follow up of the offspring in the APOSTEL II trial
Authors: van Vliet EOG , Seinen L , Roos C , Schuit E , Scheepers HCJ , Bloemenkamp KWM , Duvekot JJ , van Eyck J , Kok JH , Lotgering FK , van Baar A , van Wassenaer‐Leemhuis AG , Franssen MT , Porath MM , van der Post JAM , Franx A , Mol BWJ , Oudijk MA
Published: September 2015

Objective

To evaluate long‐term effects of maintenance tocolysis with nifedipine on neurodevelopmental outcome of the infant.

Design, Setting and Population

Follow up of infants of women who participated in a multicentre randomised controlled trial on maintenance tocolysis with nifedipine versus placebo.

Methods

Two years after the APOSTEL II trial on maintenance tocolysis with nifedipine versus placebo, we asked participants to complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire.

Main outcome measures

Infant development was measured in five domains. Developmental delay was defined as a score of ≤1 SD in one or more developmental domains. We performed exploratory subgroup analysis in women with preterm prolonged rupture of the membranes, and in women with a cervical length <10 mm at study entry.

Results

Of the 276 women eligible for follow up, 135 (52.5%) returned the questionnaire, encompassing data of 170 infants. At 2 years of age, infants of women with nifedipine maintenance tocolysis compared with placebo had a higher overall incidence of fine motor problems (22.2 versus 7.6%, OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.29–9.14, P = 0.01), and a lower incidence of poor problem‐solving (21.1 versus 29.1%, OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.08‐0.95, P = 0.04).

Conclusions

This follow‐up study revealed no clear benefit of nifedipine maintenance tocolysis at 2 years of age. As short‐term adverse perinatal outcome was not reduced in the original APOSTEL II trial, we conclude that maintenance tocolysis does not appear to be beneficial at this time.

Tweetable abstract

No clear benefit of nifedipine maintenance tocolysis in preterm labour on 2‐year infant outcome.
Association between rates of caesarean section and maternal and neonatal mortality in the 21st century: a worldwide population‐based ecological study with longitudinal data
Authors: Ye J , Zhang J , Mikolajczyk R , Torloni MR , Gülmezoglu AM , Betran AP
Published: September 2015

Objective

Caesarean section was initially performed to save the lives of the mother and/or her baby. Caesarean section rates have risen substantially worldwide over the past decades. In this study, we set out to compile all available caesarean section rates worldwide at the country level, and to identify the appropriate caesarean section rate at the population level associated with the minimal maternal and neonatal mortality.

Design

Ecological study using longitudinal data.

Setting

Worldwide country‐level data.

Population

A total of 159 countries were included in the analyses, representing 98.0% of global live births (2005).

Methods

Nationally representative caesarean section rates from 2000 to 2012 were compiled. We assessed the relationship between caesarean section rates and mortality outcomes, adjusting for socio‐economic development by means of human development index (HDI) using fractional polynomial regression models.

Main outcome measures

Maternal mortality ratio and neonatal mortality rate.

Results

Most countries have experienced increases in caesarean section rate during the study period. In the unadjusted analysis, there was a negative association between caesarean section rates and mortality outcomes for low caesarean section rates, especially among the least developed countries. After adjusting for HDI, this effect was much smaller and was only observed below a caesarean section rate of 5–10%. No important association between the caesarean section rate and maternal and neonatal mortality was observed when the caesarean section rate exceeded 10%.

Conclusions

Although caesarean section is an effective intervention to save maternal and infant lives, based on the available ecological evidence, caesarean section rates higher than around 10% at the population level are not associated with decreases in maternal and neonatal mortality rates, and thus may not be necessary to achieve the lowest maternal and neonatal mortality.

Tweetable abstract

The caesarean section rate of around 10% may be the optimal rate to achieve the lowest mortality.
A New Measure of Disclosure Quality: The Level of Disaggregation of Accounting Data in Annual Reports
Authors: CHEN SHUPING , MIAO BIN , SHEVLIN TERRY
Published: September 2015

We construct a new, parsimonious, measure of disclosure quality—disaggregation quality (DQ)—and offer validation tests. DQ captures the level of disaggregation of accounting data through a count of nonmissing Compustat line items, and reflects the extent of details in firms’ annual reports. Conceptually, DQ differs from existing disclosure measures in that it captures the “fineness” of data and is based on a comprehensive set of accounting line items in annual reports. Unlike existing measures, which are usually applicable for a subset of firms or are based on a subset of information items, DQ can be generated for the universe of Compustat industrial firms. We conduct three sets of validation tests by examining DQ's association with variables predicted by prior literature to be associated with information quality. DQ is negatively (positively) associated with analyst forecast dispersion (accuracy) and negatively associated with bid‐ask spreads and cost of equity. These associations continue to hold after we control for firm fundamentals. Taken together, results from this battery of validation tests are consistent with our measure capturing disclosure quality.
Agricultural Commodity Price Shocks and Their Effect on Growth in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Addison Tony , Ghoshray Atanu , Stamatogiannis Michalis P.
Published: September 2015

Commodity price shocks are an important type of external shock and are often cited as a problem for economic growth in Sub‐Saharan Africa. We choose nine Sub‐Saharan African countries that are heavily dependent on a single agricultural commodity for a significant portion of their income. This paper quantifies the impact of agricultural commodity price shocks using a structural non‐linear dynamic model. The novel aspect of this study is that we determine whether the response of per capita GDP for the selected Sub‐Saharan African countries is different to unexpected increases in agricultural commodity prices as opposed to decreases in prices. We conclude that there is very little evidence that an unanticipated price increase (decrease) will lead to a significantly different response in per capita incomes.
The Cap Rate Spread: A New Metric for Commercial Underwriting
Authors: Seagraves Philip A. , Wiley Jonathan A.
Published: September 2015

This study introduces the cap rate spread as a novel metric for underwriting commercial mortgages. Cap rate spread is the difference between the cap rate and the fixed coupon rate. The spread predicts performance risk in a sample of 24,951 commercial mortgage‐backed securities loans during 1993–2011. We demonstrate that the cap rate spread includes crucial information about performance risk. The results arise from the role of the cap rate spread in generating positive or negative leveraged returns to equity in situations where additional equity is required. Incorporating simplistic cap rate spread requirements in commercial underwriting is expected to reduce loan performance risk.
European Food Marketing: Adding Value in Mature Food Markets through Market Segmentation and Product Differentiation
Authors: Hughes David
Published: September 2015

Large‐scale food manufacturers and retailers vie with each other to capture the attention of the shopper, with the competitive focus being on brand warfare – retailer brands versus manufacturer brands. Manufacturers invest in research to identify what consumers prefer and are willing to pay a premium for, whilst increasingly retailers have access to data on direct shopping behaviour in their own stores. Now, more traditional agribusiness sectors are embracing market segmentation and product differentiation practices in increasingly competitive, mature markets. The challenge for farms and firms of a smaller‐size is to gain horizontal scale and co‐ownership of proprietary products and services to improve their bargaining positions in increasingly fragmented commodity markets. In the prevailing unstable economic environment, market prices for farm inputs and food ingredients may be substantially more volatile and higher than they have been over most of the past 30 years, but so will input costs placing inexorable pressure on margins. This may lead to a business environment in which supply chain partners seek longer‐term relationships with their customers and suppliers. Irrespective, in a more market‐orientated agricultural policy environment in Europe, farmers will need to know more about their customers’ particular requirements than they have heretofore.
Flexibility in the Frequency of Meat Consumption – Empirical Evidence from The Netherlands
Authors: Dagevos Hans
Published: September 2015

Despite a worldwide trend of expanding appetite for meat, scrutiny reveals that high levels of absolute meat consumption and high percentages of flexitarian consumers, who abstain from eating meat regularly, exist simultaneously. This article briefly examines this paradoxical combination of flexitarianism among Dutch food consumers in times of a dominant carnivorous food culture. Two representative surveys show that significant numbers of respondents declare that they eat no meat at dinner time for several days per week. Flexitarianism amid paramount carnivorism also emerges from consumers’ reactions to questions about both past changes in meat eating and intended future change. Considerable percentages of consumers indicate that their meat consumption has reduced and express their intention to mitigate meat eating in the foreseeable future. At the same time, large majorities of consumers report no change in their meat consumption pattern during the last year and an intention to continue this pattern next year. The presence of flexitarianism is an important phenomenon considering the economic, ethical (animal welfare) and environmental (ecological footprint) relevance of meat consumption. However, scientific and political attention on meat reduction and flexitarianism is rare in European countries but is vital in realising a more sustainable Europe.
Revision of Southern Hemisphere taxa referred toFosterella(Crustacea: Cirripedia), and their extinction in response to Pleistocene cooling
Authors: BUCKERIDGE John
Published: September 2015

Extensive barnacle coquinas (barnamols) formed around New Zealand's North and Chatham Islands during the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene. The inner‐shelf megabalanineFosterellais the primary constituent of these lithofacies, which also include epifaunal bivalves, bryozoans and less modified balanids likeNotobalanusandNotomegabalanus. The status of genusFosterellais reviewed, 3 species are retained and a new genus,Porobalanus, is proposed forFosterella hennigi, a species restricted to the Early Pliocene of Cockburn Island, Antarctica.

Significantly,Fosterelladid not survive the New Zealand Pleistocene, althoughNotobalanusandNotomegabalanus, which have fossil records extending back to the Early Miocene, remain important components of present day cool‐temperate Southern Hemisphere faunas. Extinction ofFosterella, in shelf waters off Argentina, is explained through a combination of changing circulatory and sedimentary regimes, competition for food and space, predation and physiological constraints. The driver of these factors was rapid regional cooling.

Zoobank registration:urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DBB1CB34‐83E4‐48BA‐AA10‐81823017F37A
Sheep grazing causes shift in sex ratio and cohort structure of Brandt's vole: Implication of their adaptation to food shortage
Authors: LI Guoliang , HOU Xianglei , WAN Xinrong , ZHANG Zhibin
Published: September 2015

Livestock grazing has been demonstrated to affect the population abundance of small rodents in grasslands, but the causative mechanism of grazing on demographic parameters, particularly the age structure and sex ratio, is rarely investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of sheep grazing on the cohort structure and sex ratio of Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) in Inner Mongolia of China by using large manipulative experimental enclosures during 2010–2013. Our results indicated that sheep grazing significantly decreased the proportion of the spring‐born cohort, but increased the proportion of the summer‐born cohort. Grazing increased the proportion of males in both spring and summer cohorts. In addition, we found a negative relation between population density and the proportion of the overwinter cohort. Our results suggest that a shift in the cohort structure and the sex ratio may be an important strategy for small rodents to adapt to changes in food resources resulting from livestock grazing.
Efficacy of acarbose and metformin in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients stratified by HbA1c levels
Authors: Zhang Jin‐Ping , Wang Na , Xing Xiao‐Yan , Yang Zhao‐Jun , Wang Xin , Yang Wen‐Ying
Published: September 2015

Background

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the therapeutic efficacy of acarbose and metformin is correlated with baseline HbA1c levels in Chinese patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

Data for 711 subjects were retrieved from the MARCH (Metformin and AcaRbose in Chinese as initial Hypoglycemic treatment) trial database and reviewed retrospectively. Patients were grouped according to baseline HbA1c levels (<7%, 7%–8%, and >8%) and the results for these three groups were compared between acarbose and metformin treatments.

Results

Acarbose and metformin treatment significantly improved T2DM‐associated parameters (weight, fasting plasma glucose [FPG], postprandial glucose [PPG], glucagon‐like peptide‐1 [GLP‐1], HOMA‐IR, and total cholesterol) across all HbA1c levels. Acarbose decreased PPG and HOMA‐β significantly more than metformin, but only in subjects with lower baseline HbA1c (PPG in the <7% and 7%–8%, HOMA‐β in the <7% groups; all P < 0.05). Acarbose decreased triglyceride (TG) levels, and the areas under the curve (AUC) for insulin and glucagon more than metformin at all HbA1c levels (P < 0.05). After 24 weeks treatment, metformin decreased FPG levels significantly more than acarbose for all baseline HbA1c groups (all P < 0.001). With the exception of FPG, PPG, and TG levels, differences between the two treatment groups observed at 24 weeks were not detected at 48 weeks.

Conclusions

Acarbose decreased PPG and TG and spared the AUC for insulin more effectively in patients with low‐to‐moderate baseline HbA1c levels, whereas metformin induced greater reductions in FPG. These results may help guide selection of initial therapy based on baseline HbA1c.
Perchlorate and chlorate reduction by the Crenarchaeon Aeropyrum pernix and two thermophilic Firmicutes
Authors: Liebensteiner Martin G. , Pinkse Martijn W.H. , Nijsse Bart , Verhaert Peter D.E.M. , Tsesmetzis Nicolas , Stams Alfons J.M. , Lomans Bart P.
Published: September 2015

This study reports the ability of one hyperthermophilic and two thermophilic microorganisms to grow anaerobically by the reduction of chlorate and perchlorate. Physiological, genomic and proteome analyses suggest that the Crenarchaeon Aeropyrum pernix reduces perchlorate with a periplasmic enzyme related to nitrate reductases, but that it lacks a functional chlorite‐disproportionating enzyme (Cld) to complete the pathway. Aeropyrum pernix, previously described as a strictly aerobic microorganism, seems to rely on the chemical reactivity of reduced sulfur compounds with chlorite, a mechanism previously reported for perchlorate‐reducing Archaeoglobus fulgidus. The chemical oxidation of thiosulfate (in excessive amounts present in the medium) and the reduction of chlorite result in the release of sulfate and chloride, which are the products of a biotic–abiotic perchlorate reduction pathway in Ae. pernix. The apparent absence of Cld in two other perchlorate‐reducing microorganisms, Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans and Moorella glycerini strain NMP, and their dependence on sulfide for perchlorate reduction is consistent with the observations made on Ar. fulgidus. Our findings suggest that microbial perchlorate reduction at high temperature differs notably from the physiology of perchlorate‐ and chlorate‐reducing mesophiles and that it is characterized by the lack of a chlorite dismutase and is enabled by a combination of biotic and abiotic reactions.
Use of ddPCR in experimental evolution studies
Authors: Koch Hanna , Jeschke Alina , Becks Lutz
Published: September 2015

Experimental evolution is an important research framework for evolutionary biologists as it allows direct testing of fundamental theories about adaptation and diversity, which often requires the tracking of genotypes or alleles over time. This however requires tools such as genetic markers, distinguishable morphological characters or genotyping, which can be time and labour intensive, and especially if high‐throughput processing is necessary.

Here, we present a novel approach of combining multiplex ddPCR with experimental evolution for tracking genotype frequencies in different experimental populations over time.

We found this method to be both precise and accurate for detecting and quantifying targets of interest, especially as compared to traditional PCR methods.

The use of multiplex ddPCR to follow frequencies can be used for a wide range of experimental evolution applications.
Integration of ‘omics’ data in aging research: from biomarkers to systems biology
Authors: Zierer Jonas , Menni Cristina , Kastenmüller Gabi , Spector Tim D.
Published: September 2015

Age is the strongest risk factor for many diseases including neurodegenerative disorders, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Due to increasing life expectancy and low birth rates, the incidence of age‐related diseases is increasing in industrialized countries. Therefore, understanding the relationship between diseases and aging and facilitating healthy aging are major goals in medical research. In the last decades, the dimension of biological data has drastically increased with high‐throughput technologies now measuring thousands of (epi) genetic, expression and metabolic variables. The most common and so far successful approach to the analysis of these data is the so‐called reductionist approach. It consists of separately testing each variable for association with the phenotype of interest such as age or age‐related disease. However, a large portion of the observed phenotypic variance remains unexplained and a comprehensive understanding of most complex phenotypes is lacking. Systems biology aims to integrate data from different experiments to gain an understanding of the system as a whole rather than focusing on individual factors. It thus allows deeper insights into the mechanisms of complex traits, which are caused by the joint influence of several, interacting changes in the biological system. In this review, we look at the current progress of applying omics technologies to identify biomarkers of aging. We then survey existing systems biology approaches that allow for an integration of different types of data and highlight the need for further developments in this area to improve epidemiologic investigations.
Alcohol Administration Increases Cocaine Craving But Not Cocaine Cue Attentional Bias
Authors: Marks Katherine R. , Pike Erika , Stoops William W. , Rush Craig R.
Published: September 2015

Background

Alcohol consumption is a known antecedent to cocaine relapse. Through associative conditioning, it is hypothesized that alcohol increases incentive motivation for cocaine and thus the salience of cocaine‐related cues, which are important in maintaining drug‐taking behavior. Cocaine‐using individuals display a robust cocaine cue attentional bias as measured by fixation time during the visual probe task. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of alcohol administration on cocaine cue attentional bias using eye‐tracking technology to directly measure attentional allocation.

Methods

Twenty current cocaine users completed a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, within‐subjects study that tested the effect of 3 doses of alcohol (0.00, 0.325, and 0.65 g/kg) on cocaine cue attentional bias using the visual probe task with eye‐tracking technology. The participant‐rated and physiological effects of alcohol were also assessed.

Results

Participants displayed a robust cocaine cue attentional bias following both placebo and alcohol administration as measured by fixation time, but not response time. Alcohol administration did not influence cocaine cue attentional bias, but increased craving for cocaine in a dose‐dependent manner. Alcohol produced prototypic psychomotor and participant‐rated effects.

Conclusions

Alcohol administration increases cocaine craving but not cocaine cue attentional bias. Alcohol‐induced cocaine craving suggests that alcohol increases incentive motivation for cocaine but not the salience of cocaine‐related cues.
“Who can resist this guy?rdquo; Jacques Cousteau, Celebrity Diplomacy, and the Environmental Protection of the Antarctic
Authors: Shortis Emma
Published: September 2015

Captain Jacques‐Yves Cousteau was perhaps one of the most recognisable international celebrity environmentalists of his time. Cousteau is not remembered, however, for his pivotal role in the defeat of the 1988 Antarctic Minerals Convention, which, if ratified, would have paved the way for mining to begin in Antarctica. Using the full weight of his celebrity, his personal charisma and his ability to marshal international public opinion, Cousteau was central to the successful campaign for a World Park Antarctica. The new international agreement that Cousteau ultimately helped to bring about is one of the most significant pieces of international environmental legislation in existence today, and Cousteau's crowning environmental achievement. Cousteau's successful Antarctic campaign demonstrates the indelible impact celebrities can have on international environmental negotiations, and political developments more broadly.
The Umweltmulti Arrives: Greenpeace and Grass Roots Environmentalism in West Germany
Authors: Zelko Frank
Published: September 2015

From the mid‐1970s, Greenpeace began to expand its influence beyond its original base in North America. As it did so, it encountered an array of environmentalist and social movement cultures in the various countries in which it sought to set up branches. This article focusses on the establishment of the West German branch in the early 1980s. It analyses the friction Greenpeace — by then an increasingly professional organisation with a hierarchical structure — caused when it entered a West German environmentalist culture that was committed to grass roots democracy and consensus politics.
Exemplars and Influences: Transnational Flows in the Environmental Movement
Authors: Rootes Christopher
Published: September 2015

Transnational flows of ideas are examined through consideration of Green parties, Friends of the Earth, and Earth First!, which represent, respectively, the highly institutionalised, the semi‐institutionalised and the resolutely non‐institutionalised dimensions of environmental activism. The focus is upon English‐speaking countries: US, UK and Australia. Particular attention is paid to Australian cases, both as transmitters and recipients of examples. The influence of Australian examples on Europeans has been overstated in the case of Green parties, was negligible in the case of Friends of the Earth, but surprisingly considerable in the case of Earth First!. Non‐violent direct action in Australian rainforests influenced Earth First! in both the US and UK. In each case, the flow of influence was mediated by individuals, and outcomes were shaped by the contexts of the recipients.
The Spirituality of Africa: The First Encounter
Authors: Turner Edith
Published: September 2015

The article shows some moving occasions during the first fieldwork of Victor Turner and myself in Africa during the 1950s. For instance, the Ndembu people would always give great welcomes to their returning kin after long absences. The scenes are etched on my mind as a blueprint for all welcomes. On their friends return, the villagers would immediately gather and sing the simple song, “You're back, you're back!” Why did the people so much value each other? In this village I was learning about communitas. The scenes were etched on my mind as a blueprint for all sociality. They were like the Hallelujah Chorus, Beethoven's Song of Joy, the Marseillaise, “When the Saints Come Marching In”—many anthems of praise. They were unconditionally directed, the song of what we came to know as communitas. We were intensely interested and enjoyed the rituals just as they did; only they were unfamiliar to us. For the people, they were everything.
Mandibular reconstruction: meta‐analysis of iliac‐ versus fibula‐free flaps
Authors: Lonie Sarah , Herle Pradyumna , Paddle Alenka , Pradhan Neelprada , Birch Theo , Shayan Ramin
Published: September 2015

Background

Free vascularized bone flaps are widely recognized as the optimal reconstruction for patients who undergo mandibular resection. The fibula‐free flap is currently considered the gold standard, workhorse flap for mandibular reconstruction. Although previous studies have analysed individual success of each flap type, few have compared iliac‐ and fibula‐free flaps.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was conducted in line with the PRISMA protocol searching the PubMed and EBSCO databases. Twenty‐four studies were included as per predetermined inclusion criteria. Double‐arm random effect meta‐analysis was conducted with STATA 12, and single‐arm meta‐analysis was conducted utilizing Meta‐XL.

Results

The results of this meta‐analysis confirm that there is no significant difference in total flap loss between fibula‐ and iliac‐free flap reconstruction of mandibular defects. In terms of recipient site complication, there was a significantly higher risk of delayed healing and suture line breakdown in the iliac flap group (P = 0.05). Donor site complications showed a trend towards being higher in the fibula flap group. Osseointegrated dental implant loss in fibula flaps was higher than in iliac flaps (5.3% compared with 1.7%).

Conclusion

Both iliac‐ and fibula‐free flaps should be considered for use in mandibular reconstruction. We suggest the iliac crest as the first choice for mandibular angle or body defects (better contour match) or also defects requiring greater soft‐tissue bulk for intra‐oral lining. The fibula flap is best when bony length is required such as in subtotal or total mandibulectomy.
Maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnancy in women with chronic hypertension: a retrospective analysis of a national register
Authors: Broekhuijsen Kim , Ravelli Anita C.J. , Langenveld Josje , van Pampus Mariëlle G. , van den Berg Paul P. , Mol Ben W.J. , Franssen Maureen T.M.
Published: September 2015

Introduction

Pregnancies complicated by chronic hypertension are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. To assess whether planned early delivery might prevent some of these adverse outcomes, we studied maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnancy in women with chronic hypertension, including gestational‐age‐specific outcomes.

Material and methods

We performed a retrospective, population‐based cohort study, using data from the Netherlands Perinatal Register. We included women with chronic hypertension and normotensive controls who delivered a singleton without congenital anomalies in 2002–2007. We calculated crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI, compared delivery and ongoing pregnancy using moving averages, and used multiple Cox regression to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics and to examine adverse neonatal outcomes across subgroups of hypertensive disorder. Main outcome measures were composite adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Results

We included 3457 (0.3%) women with chronic hypertension and 984 932 normotensive controls. Women with chronic hypertension had adverse maternal outcomes more often (28.7% vs. 6.6%, adjusted OR 5.7, 95% CI 5.3–6.2). Their offspring had an increased rate of neonatal morbidity (17.4% vs. 13.2%, adjusted OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.4) but not of severe adverse neonatal outcomes (2.5% vs. 2.2%, adjusted OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6–1.0). The increased risk of adverse maternal outcomes for ongoing pregnancy remained stable around 17% at term. The risk of severe adverse neonatal outcomes for birth was at its lowest between 38 and 40 weeks, mainly in women with iatrogenic onset of delivery.

Conclusions

Women with chronic hypertension are at increased risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes compared with controls throughout pregnancy, including at term. Our results suggest that the optimal timing of delivery might be between 38 and 40 weeks of gestation, but prospective randomized studies should confirm this.
Informed choice about Down syndrome screening – effect of an eHealth tool: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Skjøth Mette M. , Draborg Eva , Lamont Ronald F. , Pedersen Claus D. , Hansen Helle P. , Ekstrøm Claus T. , Jørgensen Jan S.
Published: September 2015

Introduction

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an eHealth intervention (interactive website) on pregnant women's ability to make an informed choice about Down syndrome screening.

Material and methods

The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial with allocation to an intervention group and a control group in a ratio of 1:1. Subsequent subgroup analysis was conducted. Participants were recruited from 5 August 2013 to 25 April 2014 at Odense University Hospital, Denmark. Inclusion criteria were: pregnant women aged ≥18 years who were invited to participate in Down syndrome screening. Exclusion criteria were: high risk of abortion, psycho‐socially vulnerable women, late referral, inability to speak Danish and women declining to participate. The primary outcome was informed choice about Down syndrome screening. The Multidimensional Measure of Informed Choice was used to assess whether the choice was informed or uninformed.

Results

A total of 1150 participants were included in the study, of which 910 (79%) completed the questionnaire. Only a minority (30% of the women in the intervention group) actually used the website. There was no significant difference in the groups with respect to making an informed choice. The mean knowledge scores were significantly higher for those in the intervention group who used the intervention.

Conclusions

An interactive website with information about Down syndrome screening had no direct effect on making an informed choice. However, the majority of the pregnant women who used the website were satisfied with the website and would recommend it to others.
Learning about maternal death and grief in the profession: a pilot qualitative study
Authors: Cauldwell Matthew , Chappell Lucy C. , Murtagh Ged , Bewley Susan
Published: September 2015

Introduction

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of maternal death on maternity professionals, and their related professional and personal needs.

Material and methods

A qualitative study comprising semi‐structured interviews in a UK inner‐city academic maternity unit with over 5000 deliveries annually. Purposive sampling was utilized and semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews were performed with 14 healthcare professionals: four midwives, five doctors in training grades (trainees) and five consultant obstetricians. Identification of key themes was derived by textual analysis.

Results

Five main themes were identified: professional culture, organizational culture and external expectation; personal blame and debriefing; professional training; shaping the training; support and counseling. Maternal death has a major impact on professionals' feelings of grief, guilt and shame, which they are reluctant to talk about. Maternity professionals expressed a desire for training to prepare themselves to respond effectively in the event of maternal death. There was ambiguity about “debriefing” within a changing institutional culture.

Conclusions

Maternal death is a devastating consequence of pregnancy. If these findings are replicated by interviewing a greater number and breadth of maternity professionals, then healthcare institutions need to develop appropriate training to prepare and help staff, which should improve the support they can give to the bereaved and to each other.
Serum anti‐Müllerian hormone in subfertile women
Authors: Somigliana Edgardo , Lattuada Debora , Colciaghi Barbara , Filippi Francesca , La Vecchia Irene , Tirelli Amedea , Baffero Giulia M. , Paffoni Alessio , Persico Nicola , Bolis Giorgio , Fedele Luigi
Published: September 2015

Introduction

The correlation between ovarian reserve and infertility remains unclear. Albeit poorly predictive of pregnancy success in in vitro fertilization cycles, serum anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) has been acknowledged as a surrogate measure of ovarian reserve and is commonly evaluated in women seeking pregnancy. Disentangling whether low serum AMH affects natural fecundity is clinically important, as this information helps physicians in providing appropriate counseling to women and may impact on management strategies.

Material and methods

This was a nested case‐control study from a prospective cohort of pregnant women undergoing first trimester screening for aneuploidies. Cases were subfertile women having tried to become pregnant for 12–24 months. Controls were subsequent age‐matched fertile women. Inclusion criteria for both cases and controls were: (i) age > 18 years, (ii) natural conception, (iii) regular menstrual cycles (24–35 days). We used quantitative detection of serum AMH and interviews with the women. The main outcome measure was the proportion of women with serum AMH < 1.1 ng/mL.

Results

Seventy‐six subfertile women and 76 matched fertile controls were selected. In the two study groups, there were 11 (15%) and 15 (20%) women with serum AMH < 1.1 ng/mL, respectively (p = 0.52). The crude odds ratio for subfertility in women with low serum AMH was 0.69 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29–1.62]. The adjusted odds ratio was 0.85 (95% CI 0.35–2.10). The median (interquartile range) serum concentration of AMH in subfertile and control women was 2.6 (range 1.6–4.0) and 2.8 (range 1.4–4.3) ng/mL, respectively (p = 0.91).

Conclusions

Low serum AMH is not associated with female subfertility.
Early Assistance With Left Ventricular Assist Device Limits Left Ventricular Remodeling After Acute Myocardial Infarction in a Swine Model
Authors: Sun Xiaotian , Li Jun , Zhao Weipeng , Lu Shuyang , Guo Changfa , Lai Hao , Wang Chunsheng
Published: September 2015

Although left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have been commonly used for patients with cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), their effects on post‐AMI prognosis remain to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of an LVAD on left ventricular (LV) remodeling and function at the postinfarction stage in a swine model. AMI was induced by ligation of the circumflex artery or its branches for 120 min, followed by 120 min of reperfusion. In the assist group (n = 6), LVAD was initiated at 90 min after ischemia and was maintained for support until 120 min after reperfusion, whereas the control group (n = 6) received no support. LV pressure, volume, wall stress, and stroke work were all decreased by LVAD assistance at the ischemia and reperfusion stages, and blood pressure and cardiac output were maintained. All swine were studied 1 month after the procedure, and those in the assist group showed less increased end‐diastolic volumes (assist vs. control: 57.9 ± 6.6 vs. 79.0 ± 6.7 mL, P = 0.032) and sphericity (assist vs. control: 1.33 ± 0.16 vs. 1.51 ± 0.12, P = 0.01), as well as improved ejection fractions (assist vs. control: 59.0 ± 7.8 vs. 42.3 ± 6.0%, P = 0.002). Furthermore, despite a presence of a similar initial ischemic area, the percent of infarcted myocardium was reduced by 49.9% in the assist group (assist vs. control: 18.1 ± 4.8 vs. 35.3 ± 6.2%, P < 0.001). These results suggested that early assistance with an LVAD in AMI limited LV remodeling, preserved postinfarction systolic function, and improved the prognosis.
Fluid–Structure Interactions Analysis of Shear‐Induced Modulation of a Mesenchymal Stem Cell: An Image‐Based Study
Authors: Vaez Ghaemi Roza , Vahidi Bahman , Sabour Mohammad Hossein , Haghighipour Nooshin , Alihemmati Zakieh
Published: September 2015

Although effects of biochemical modulation of stem cells have been widely investigated, only recent advances have been made in the identification of mechanical conditioning on cell signaling pathways. Experimental investigations quantifying the micromechanical environment of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are challenging while computational approaches can predict their behavior due to in vitro stimulations. This study introduces a 3D cell‐specific finite element model simulating large deformations of MSCs. Here emphasizing cell mechanical modulation which represents the most challenging multiphysics phenomena in sub‐cellular level, we focused on an approach attempting to elicit unique responses of a cell under fluid flow. Fluorescent staining of MSCs was performed in order to visualize the MSC morphology and develop a geometrically accurate model of it based on a confocal 3D image. We developed a 3D model of a cell fixed in a microchannel under fluid flow and then solved the numerical model by fluid–structure interactions method. By imposing flow characteristics representative of vigorous in vitro conditions, the model predicts that the employed external flow induces significant localized effective stress in the nucleo‐cytoplasmic interface and average cell deformation of about 40%. Moreover, it can be concluded that a lower strain level is made in the cell by the oscillatory flow as compared with steady flow, while same ranges of effective stress are recorded inside the cell in both conditions. The deeper understanding provided by this study is beneficial for better design of single cell in vitro studies.
Pressure–Flow Experimental Performance of New Intravascular Blood Pump Designs for Fontan Patients
Authors: Chopski Steven G. , Fox Carson S. , Riddle Michelle L. , McKenna Kelli L. , Patel Jay P. , Rozolis John T. , Throckmorton Amy L.
Published: September 2015

An intravascular axial flow pump is being developed as a mechanical cavopulmonary assist device for adolescent and adult patients with dysfunctional Fontan physiology. Coupling computational modeling with experimental evaluation of prototypic designs, this study examined the hydraulic performance of 11 impeller prototypes with blade stagger or twist angles varying from 100 to 600 degrees. A refined range of twisted blade angles between 300 and 400 degrees with 20‐degree increments was then selected, and four additional geometries were constructed and hydraulically evaluated. The prototypes met performance expectations and produced 3–31 mm Hg for flow rates of 1–5 L/min for 6000–8000 rpm. A regression analysis was completed with all characteristic coefficients contributing significantly (P < 0.0001). This analysis revealed that the impeller with 400 degrees of blade twist outperformed the other designs. The findings of the numerical model for 300‐degree twisted case and the experimental results deviated within approximately 20%. In an effort to simplify the impeller geometry, this work advanced the design of this intravascular cavopulmonary assist device closer to preclinical animal testing.
Higher rates of metastatic disease may explain the declining trend in Swedish paediatric rhabdomyosarcoma survival rates
Authors: Lychou Sara E. , Gustafsson Göran G. , Ljungman Gustaf E.
Published: September 2015

Aim

Positive outcomes for paediatric rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) were high in Sweden during the 1990s, but the last decade has seen decreasing trends in overall survival rates. We investigated the incidence, patient and disease characteristics, treatment and outcome of RMS to see whether any reason could be found for this decline.

Methods

This study included 210 children under the age of 15 who were diagnosed with RMS and whose details were recorded in the population‐based Swedish Childhood Cancer Registry from 1984 to 2010.

Results

The overall annual incidence of RMS was 4.9 per million, and the 5‐year overall survival rates were 59 ± 7% in 1984–1989, 78 ± 5% in 1990–1999 and 71 ± 5% in 2000–2010. When patients with localised disease were analysed separately, there was no difference in the 5‐year survival rates between 1990 and 1999 (82 ± 5%) and 2000–2010 (81 ± 5%), but the outcome in 1984–1989 (53 ± 8%) was significantly worse. The prevalence of metastatic disease was unexpectedly high during 2000–2010 (28%, p = 0.010), compared to an overall mean of 18% for the whole study period.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that a higher rate of metastatic disease may explain the declining trend in overall survival rates in paediatric RMS in Sweden over the last decade.