bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sacral neuromodulation for detrusor hyperactivity with impaired contractility
Authors: Hennessey Derek B. , Hoag Nathan , Gani Johan
Published: March 2017

Introduction

Detrusor hyperactivity with impaired contractility (DHIC) is a challenging condition to manage. Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is a proven treatment modality for both the individual aspects of DHIC. To date, data reporting the outcome of SNM for DHIC are lacking.

Materials and Methods

Consecutive patients undergoing SNM for DHIC were followed prospectively, from April 2013 to October 2016. Patient demographics, bladder diaries, subjective response rates, ICIQ‐OAB, and PGI‐I scores were recorded. Success was defined as greater than 50% improvement in storage symptoms and a 50% improvement in voided volume or reduction of post‐void residual volumes.

Results

Twenty patients underwent stage 1 trial of SNM for DHIC. Median age was 68.5, IQR (54.25‐76.25). Thirteen (65%) patients were female. A total of 14/20 (70%) of patients had a significant treatment response, 9/20 had a response to both elements of DHIC, 4/20 patients had a response to the detrusor overactivity (DO) alone, and 1/20 had a response to the voiding component alone. A total of 12/20 (60%) patients proceeded to insertion of an IPG. At mean follow‐up of 17 months, IQR (1.5‐35), 11/12 (91.7%) of patients are still using the SNM for DHIC. Median PGI score is 2, IQR (2‐4). SNM for DHIC resulted in statistically significant improvements in voided volume (P = 0.016), PVR (P = 0.0296), ICIQ‐OAB score (P < 0.0001), and ICIQ‐OAB bother score (P = 0.016)

Conclusion

This is the first study we know of to report the results of SNM for DHIC. SNM is associated with satisfactory success rates, treating both the detrusor hyperactivity, and impaired contractility components of this condition.
Multi‐model Arlequin method for transient structural dynamics with explicit time integration
Authors: Fernier Alexandre , Faucher Vincent , Jamond Olivier
Published: March 2017

This paper addresses the explicit time integration for solving multi‐model structural dynamics by the Arlequin method. Our study focuses on the stability of the central difference scheme in the Arlequin framework. Although the Arlequin coupling matrices can introduce a weak instability, the time integrator remains stable as long as the initial kinematic conditions of both models agree on the coupling zone. After showing that the Arlequin weights have an adverse impact on the critical time step, we present two approaches to circumvent this issue. Computational tests confirm that the two approaches effectively preserve a feasible critical time step and show the efficiency of the Arlequin method for structural explicit dynamic simulations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improved reachable set estimation of discrete‐time systems with time‐varying delay
Authors: Feng Zhiguang , Zheng Wei Xing
Published: March 2017

This paper is concerned with the problem of reachable set estimation of discrete‐time systems with time‐varying delay and bounded disturbance. By applying the improved reciprocally convex combination approach to bound the forward difference of the double summation and triple summation, respectively, a less conservative reachable set estimation condition is developed in matrix inequalities. Based on the criterion, a less conservative stability criterion is obtained as a by‐product. Numerical examples are presented to validate the effectiveness of the obtained results.
The burden and management of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6)‐mediated drug–drug interaction (DDI): co‐medication of metoprolol and paroxetine or fluoxetine in the elderly
Authors: Bahar Muh. Akbar , Hak Eelko , Bos Jens H.J. , Borgsteede Sander D. , Wilffert Bob
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Metoprolol and paroxetine/fluoxetine are inevitably co‐prescribed because cardiovascular disorders and depression often coexist in the elderly. This leads to CYP2D6‐mediated drug–drug interactions (DDI). Because systematic evaluations are lacking, we assessed the burden of metoprolol–paroxetine/fluoxetine interaction in the elderly and how these interactions are managed in Dutch community pharmacies.

Method

Dispensing data were collected from the University of Groningen pharmacy database (IADB.nl, 1999–2014) for elderly patients (≥60 years) starting beta‐blockers and/or antidepressants. Based on the two main DDI alert systems (G‐Standard and Pharmabase), incidences were divided between signalled (metoprolol–fluoxetine/paroxetine) and not‐signalled (metoprolol‐alternative antidepressants and alternative beta‐blockers–paroxetine/fluoxetine) combinations. Incident users were defined as patients starting at least one signalled or a non‐signalled combination. G‐Standard signalled throughout the study period, whereas Pharmabase stopped after 2005.

Results

A total of 1763 patients had 2039 metoprolol–paroxetine/fluoxetine co‐prescriptions, despite DDI alert systems, and about 57.3% were signalled. The number of metoprolol‐alternative antidepressant combinations (incidences = 3150) was higher than alternative beta‐blocker–paroxetine/fluoxetine combinations (incidences = 1872). Metoprolol users are more likely to be co‐medicated with an alternative antidepressant (incidences = 2320) than paroxetine/fluoxetine users (incidences = 1232) are. The number of paroxetine/fluoxetine users co‐prescribed with alternative beta‐blockers was comparable to those co‐medicated with metoprolol (about 50%). Less than 5% of patients received a substitute therapy after using metoprolol–paroxetine/fluoxetine. Most of the metoprolol users (90%) received a low dose (mean DDD = 0.47) regardless whether they were prescribed paroxetine/fluoxetine.

Conclusion

Despite the signalling software, metoprolol–paroxetine/fluoxetine combinations are still observed in the elderly population. The clinical impact of these interactions needs further investigation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structuring and characterization of a novel microporous PVDF membrane with semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks for vacuum membrane distillation
Authors: Sun De , Zheng Zhao‐Shan , Liu Mei‐Qin , Li Bing‐Bing , Huang Fei , Li Da‐Yong
Published: March 2017

In this paper, by using the non‐solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process, a new microporous membrane with semi‐interpenetrating polymer network (semi‐IPN) was produced in which PDMS polymer is crosslinked and PVDF polymer is linear. For the fabrication of the membrane, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) was used as the crosslinking agent and dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) was used as the catalyst. By changing the mass ratio of PDMS/TEOS, the structure and the performance of the prepared membrane were studied. The membranes were also investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM‐EDX), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy, capillary flow porometer, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), water contact angle (WCA), etc. Through the experiments we found that the semi‐IPNs structure was more likely produce the sponge‐like pores and was more favorable to the mechanical properties, pore structure and thermal stability of the membranes. Using the PDMS–PVDF membranes for the VMD desalt of the NaCl solution (30 g/L), 99.9% salt rejection and reasonable fluxes were obtained, which make us believe that it could be possible to use the semi‐IPNs PDMS–PVDF membrane to treat real sea water for its desalt. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:1311–1321, 2017. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Composite material based on fluoroplast and low melting oxyfluoride glass
Authors: Ignatieva Lidia N. , Savchenko Natalia N. , Lalayan Vladimir M. , Zverev Grigorii A. , Goncharuk Vladimir K. , Ustinov Alexander Yu. , Shaulov Alexander Yu. , Berlin Alexander A. , Bouznik Vyacheslav M.
Published: March 2017

The results of studies of the samples fabricated through extrusion blending of mixtures composed of the polymer polyvinylidene fluoride and the inorganic glass of 3B2O3‐97(40SnF2‐30SnO‐30P2O5) are summarized. The composite material whose structure depends on the component ratio in the mixture (from individual areas formed by each component to homogeneously distributed composite particles) has been fabricated. The peculiarities of formation of composites were studied based on the study of their morphology, molecular structure and phase composition. The organic and inorganic components do not interact with each other at the molecular level. The glass crystallizes during formation of the composite. With the increasing amount of crystals, the monolithic polymer is broken; at a certain ratio of the components, there is inversion: the polymer particles are arranged between the crystals of inorganic component, mixing with them, and covering them. The temperature of composite melting is determined by polymer melting. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:566–569, 2017. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Peptide‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide as a bioactive mechanically robust tissue regeneration scaffold
Authors: Holt Brian D , Arnold Anne M , Sydlik Stefanie A
Published: March 2017

Bioactive, synthetic materials represent next‐generation composites for tissue regeneration. Design of contemporary materials attempts to recapitulate the complexities of native tissue; however, few successfully mimic the order in nature. Recently, graphene oxide (GO) has emerged as a scaffold due to its potential for bioactive functionalization and long‐range order instilled by the self‐assembly of graphene sheets. Chemical reduction of GO results in a more compatible material with enhanced properties but compromises the ability to functionalize the graphenic backbone. However, using Johnson–Claisen rearrangement chemistry, functionalization is achieved that is not liable to reduction. From reduced Claisen graphene, we polymerized short homopeptides from α‐amino acid N‐carboxyanhydride monomers of glutamate and lysine to result in functionalized graphenes (pGlu‐rCG and pLys‐rCG) that are cytocompatible, degradable, and bioactive. Exposure to NIH‐3T3 fibroblasts and RAW 264.7 macrophages revealed that the materials are cytocompatible and do not alter important sub‐cellular compartments. Powders were hot pressed to form mechanically stiff (E′: 41 and 49 MPa), strong (UCS: 480 and 140 MPa), and tough (UT: 2898 and 584 J m−3 × 104) three‐dimensional constructs (pGlu‐rCG and pLys‐rCG, respectively). Overall, we report a robust chemistry and processing strategy for facile bioactive functionalization of compatible, reduced Claisen graphene for three‐dimensional biomedical applications. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
One‐Pot Purification and Iodination of Waste Kish Graphite into High‐Quality Electrocatalyst
Authors: Jeon In‐Yup , Shin Sun‐Hee , Jung Sun‐Min , Choi Hyun‐Jung , Xu Jiantie , Baek Jong‐Beom
Published: March 2017

Kish graphite, a waste (called dust) from a steelmaking process, can be simultaneously purified and functionalized by mechanochemical ball‐milling in the presence of iodine. The resultant iodinated Kish graphite (I‐Kish‐G) contains low content of impurities and high iodine content (1.83 at%, 16.17 wt%, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy) with high crystallinity. It has high specific surface area (924.3 m2 g−1), indicating that I‐Kish‐G is significantly purified, functionalized, and exfoliated into a few graphitic layers. More importantly, I‐Kish‐G displays outstanding electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction with long‐term durability and robustness against methanol crossover and CO poisoning effects in alkaline media.
ESPAUR 2016: antibiotic and antifungal prescribing in England
Authors: Chaplin Steve
Published: March 2017

The English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) was set up by Public Health England in 2013 in response to the government's five‐year antimicrobial resistance strategy in order to monitor antimicrobial use, resistance and stewardship across England. The key findings of their 2016 report show that some progress is being made, especially in primary care.
Forecasting northern polar stratospheric variability with competing statistical learning models
Authors: Minokhin Ivan , Fletcher Christopher G. , Brenning Alexander
Published: March 2017

The northern polar stratosphere plays an important role in modulating wintertime near‐surface temperatures in midlatitudes. Therefore forecasting northern polar stratospheric variability has the potential to extend the skill of seasonal winter weather forecasts. This research explores the utility of state‐of‐the‐art statistical learning models for medium‐range (10–20 day lead time) forecasting of northern polar stratospheric variability. In addition to indices representing the El Niño Southern Oscillation, the Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation, and the 11‐year solar cycle, indices of the upward flux of wave activity from the troposphere into the stratosphere (WAF) are used as predictors for modelling and forecasting stratospheric temperature and geopotential height anomalies. The WAF is known to provide the primary source of intraseasonal variability in the wintertime stratospheric polar vortex. Multiple linear regression, random forest, artificial neural network, and support vector regression (SVR) models were trained over the 1980–2005 time period, and replicated real‐time forecasts were generated for the 2005–2011 time period. The highest correlation skill for 10 day forecasts (ρ=0.41 for temperature, andρ=0.49 for geopotential height) was found using the SVR model, which represents an improvement in skill over previous work that did not include WAF, or lagged predictors. Using a permutation‐based method, the importance of each predictor was ranked, and the WAF predictors were found to be most important for improving forecast skill in all models. In addition to improved forecast skill, it is argued that the methods presented here represent an advance due to their increased simplicity and relative ease of physical interpretation.
Projections of tropical cyclones affecting Vietnam under climate change: downscaled HadGEM2‐ES using PRECIS 2.1
Authors: Wang Changgui , Liang Ju , Hodges Kevin I.
Published: March 2017

The potential changes in tropical cyclone (TC) activity, and the associated large‐scale environmental conditions, for Vietnam and the South China Sea, posed by climate change, are examined using a high‐resolution regional climate model system, PRECIS 2.1, to downscale the Met Office Hadley Centre CMIP5 model, HadGEM2‐ES, to a resolution of 25 km (PRECIS_Had2). The ERA‐Interim reanalysis is also downscaled to the same resolution (PRECIS_ERAI) for comparison. An objective algorithm is used to identify and track the TCs. The PRECIS_Had2 is evaluated for the period of 1990–2005 by comparing with the PRECIS_ERAI and the observed best‐track data of TCs. Compared to PRECIS_ERAI, PRECIS_Had2 represents the TC‐associated large‐scale environments reasonably well but shows stronger vertical wind shear over the South China Sea and during the summer southwesterly monsoon. For TCs, PRECIS_Had2 is capable of capturing the TC distribution but shows a notable underestimation of very intense TCs. The analysis of the influence of global warming on the TC activity reveals that PRECIS_Had2 simulates a pronounced seasonal shift of TC activity in a warmer climate for both the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, with an increase in TC activity during winter related to the more favourable large‐scale conditions, while a decrease in TCs associated with less favourable large‐scale conditions is projected in summer.
Robust adaptive DSC of directly input‐coupled nonlinear systems with input unmodeled dynamics and time‐varying output constraints
Authors: Zhang Tianping , Xia Xiaonan
Published: March 2017

In this paper, an adaptive robust dynamic surface control is proposed for a class of uncertain nonlinear interconnected systems with time‐varying output constraints and dynamic input and output coupling. The directly coupled inputs and control inputs are both of nonlinear input unmodeled dynamics. To counteract the instable impact of the nonlinear input unmodeled dynamics, normalization signals are designed on the basis of the convergence rates of their Lyapunov functions. With new state variables and control variables being defined, the real control inputs are obtained through solving the equations of intermediate control laws. The time‐varying constraints on output signals are implemented by introducing asymmetric barrier Lyapunov functions. In addition, dynamic signals and decentralized K‐filters are used to deal with the state unmodeled dynamics and to estimate the unmeasurable states, respectively. By the theoretical analysis, the signals in the closed‐loop system are proved to be semi‐globally uniformly ultimately bounded, and the output constraints are guaranteed simultaneously. A numerical example is provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Concentration and regularization of random graphs
Authors: Le Can M. , Levina Elizaveta , Vershynin Roman
Published: March 2017

This paper studies how close random graphs are typically to their expectations. We interpret this question through the concentration of the adjacency and Laplacian matrices in the spectral norm. We study inhomogeneous Erdös‐Rényi random graphs on n vertices, where edges form independently and possibly with different probabilities pij. Sparse random graphs whose expected degrees are fail to concentrate; the obstruction is caused by vertices with abnormally high and low degrees. We show that concentration can be restored if we regularize the degrees of such vertices, and one can do this in various ways. As an example, let us reweight or remove enough edges to make all degrees bounded above by O(d) where . Then we show that the resulting adjacency matrix concentrates with the optimal rate: . Similarly, if we make all degrees bounded below by d by adding weight d / n to all edges, then the resulting Laplacian concentrates with the optimal rate: . Our approach is based on Grothendieck‐Pietsch factorization, using which we construct a new decomposition of random graphs. We illustrate the concentration results with an application to the community detection problem in the analysis of networks. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 51, 538–561, 2017
Ecology, biofacies, biogeography and systematics of micromorphic lingulate brachiopods from the Ordovician (Darriwilian–Sandbian) of south‐central China
Authors: Holmer Lars E. , Ghobadi Pour Mansoureh , Popov Leonid E. , Zhang Zhiliang , Zhang Zhifei
Published: March 2017

Ordovician (Darriwilian to Sandbian) micromorphic linguliform lingulate brachiopods are described from the Guniutan Formation at the Fenxiang section in Hubei province, and the Maocaopu and Cili sections in Hunan province of south‐central China, situated on the Yangtze Platform. A total of 7560 specimens from 155 limestone samples (within the interval of Lenodus variabilis – Pygodus anserinus biozones) are assigned to 22 species, representing a low taxonomic diversity and low abundance fauna. The fauna is dominated by the Acrotretoidea, mainly species of the Torynelasmatidae, with Torynelasma the most abundant (more than 40% of total number of specimens), along with the Eoconulidae and Eoconulus (18% of total) representing the second most common forms. Species of the Ephippelasmatidae are also common (16% of total) diverse, and include representatives of Myotreta and Numericoma, as well as Ephippelasma, whereas species of the Scaphelasmatidae are somewhat less common (13% of total). All three investigated sections represent outer shelf environments, but the Maocaopu section is situated in a relatively deeper position, in proximity of the south‐eastern outer margin of the Upper Yangtze Platform, close to its boundary with the Jiangnan Slope. A quantitative analysis of the relative abundance data was carried out in order to investigate the biofacies distribution of the micromorphic brachiopod communities across the Yangtze Platform, something that has not been attempted before with Palaeozoic linguliforms. Six lingulate microbrachiopod communities could be recognized in the sections. The major biofacies shift, which occurred in the Cili section in the upper part of the Microzarkodina ozarkodella Zone, at the time of the onset and initial rise of the Mid Darriwilian Carbon Isotope Excursion (MDICE) suggests that these biofacies may have been depth controlled.
Burden of Burns in Brazil from 2000 to 2014: A Nationwide Hospital‐Based Study
Authors: Santos João Vasco , Souza Júlio , Amarante José , Freitas Alberto
Published: March 2017

Background

Burns are a major public health concern, affecting mostly low‐ and middle‐income countries. However, there is a lack of epidemiological studies on burns in these countries, particularly in Latin American countries. Our aim was to analyze nationwide demographic, epidemiological and economic characteristics of hospitalized burn patients in Brazil.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted including inpatients admitted with a diagnosis of burns (ICD‐10:T20–T31) from all hospitals in Brazil from 2000 to 2014. We calculated hospitalization and in‐hospital mortality rates. Length of stay (LoS), charges and premature mortality were also assessed.

Results

A total of 412,541 burn hospitalizations were found, with a hospitalization rate of 14.56 hospitalizations/100,000 inhabitants/year. This rate is decreasing since 2003, mostly due to the reduction among children and elderly. Children below 5 years old accounted for 24% of all admissions. In‐hospital mortality rate was 8.1% and median LoS was 5 days. Mean hospitalization charge was 856 international dollars. Substantial regional discrepancies were found in several indicators.

Conclusion

In this first Latin American nationwide study of burn patients, a decreasing trend of hospitalization rate and a low charge contrasted with a high in‐hospital mortality rate. This latter indicator, associated with a low LoS, may raise concerns regarding the quality of healthcare. Important discrepancies were found between regions, which may indicate important differences in regard to healthcare access and risk of burns. Targeting effective prevention, improving healthcare quality and providing more widespread and accurate burn registry are recommended.
Genetic Counselors’ Perception of the Effect on Practice of Laws Restricting Abortion
Authors: Cooney Caitlin , Hercher Laura , Bajaj Komal
Published: March 2017

In 2013, twenty‐two states enacted seventy provisions restricting access to abortion. The legislation restricted access to abortions by instituting more regulations on providers and facilities, by prohibiting abortion prior to viability, by restricting funding available to patients and by requiring patients to wait a mandatory time period before having a procedure. Genetic counselors are trained to provide unbiased, comprehensive information in a non‐directive style in order to allow patients to exercise their reproductive freedom. We developed a survey of 37 questions for genetic counselors to gauge the potential impact these provisions will have on their ability to be a patient advocate. A total of 286 individuals completed the survey; however, not all respondents answered all questions. Qualitative questions complemented quantitative survey entries, allowing respondents to input thoughts and examples. Results indicate genetic counselors in all regions share similar professional opinions about the provisions. More genetic counselors in the South and Midwest noticed changes impacting patients since the provisions have been enacted. These regional differences correlate with the location of states that have seem the greatest increase in antiabortion provisions.
Waste Cooking Oil‐Based Novel Gemini Imidazolinium Surfactants With Carbonate Linkage: Green Synthesis, Characterization and Properties Evaluation
Authors: Tripathy Divya Bajpai , Mishra Anuradha
Published: March 2017

Imidazolinium surfactants belong to the category of cationic surfactants that have already gained the great interest of researchers due to their varied range of commercial applications. With the advancement in the field of surfactants research, imidazolinium surfactants are being converted into their corresponding gemini surfactants. Gemini surfactants are known to have exceptional self‐assembling characteristics and exclusive interfacial activity that include much lower CMC and better ability to reduce surface tension than their conventional monomeric counterparts. Long reaction time associated with conventional thermal synthetic procedures and high production costs are the two major issues involved in the synthesis of gemini surfactants. The present research work involves the microwave synthesis of novel gemini imidazolinium surfactants with carbonate linkage. In order to synthesize cost effective gemini surfactants, waste cooking oils have been used as raw materials. Structural characterization of synthesized gemini surfactants has been achieved through 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR and FT‐IR.
Association between the eruption of the third molar and caries and periodontitis distal to the second molars in elderly patients
Authors: Chou Yu‐Hsiang , Ho Pei‐Shan , Ho Kun‐Yen , Wang Wen‐Chen , Hu Kai‐Fang
Published: March 2017

The objective of this study was to verify whether caries and periodontal diseases, when present on the distal surface of the second molars (M2s), are associated with the eruption of the third molars (M3s). In this split‐mouth study, we evaluated 70 elderly patients with unilateral maxillary or mandibular M3s who presented to the outpatient clinics of two hospitals. Patients underwent comprehensive oral examinations and radiographical measurements, and we assessed the outcomes of periodontal disease and caries. Periodontal measurements included plaque index, bleeding on probing, and periodontal probing pocket depth (PD). Moreover, caries were assessed through visual–tactile examination and radiography. We performed the χ2 test to determine factors associated with M3 and non‐M3 outcomes. Eighty‐one unilateral erupted M3s were observed in the study patients. Both the distobuccal region (p < 0.0001) and the distolingual region (p = 0.006) had a higher PD on the nonextraction side than the extraction side, and the caries rate was significantly higher on the nonextraction side than on the extraction side (p <0.0001 on M2 with caries and p = 0.003 on M2 with distal caries). M3 eruption, at the same or different occlusal plane levels of M2, is a risk factor for periodontal diseases and caries in M2s in elderly patients. M3s may continue to negatively impact dental health well into later life.
THE END OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY
Authors: Surovell Todd A. , Toohey Jason L. , Myers Adam D. , LaBelle Jason M. , Ahern James C. M. , Reisig Brian
Published: March 2017

Except for the addition of modern material remains, the archaeological record is a finite resource, which means that, at some point in the future, there will be nothing left to find. In this paper, we model trends in archaeological discovery based on the growth of the field and the probability of site discovery. We compare this model to seven diverse datasets of archaeological discovery trends: (1) all sites from the state of Wyoming, USA; (2) high-altitude archaeological sites from the state of Colorado, USA; (3) mostly complete Neandertal crania; (4) monumental sites of the Maya Classic period; (5) proboscidean kill/scavenge sites globally; (6) Upper Paleolithic sites from Europe; and (7) a compilation of shipwreck discoveries. We forecast discovery trends over the current century. We show that, for all datasets, rates of discovery are in decline, and some segments of the record are near depletion.
The Ethnic Implications of Preferential Voting
Authors: Coakley John , Fraenkel Jon
Published: March 2017

Around the turn of the century, political developments in Northern Ireland, Fiji and Papua New Guinea encouraged claims that preferential voting systems could steer polities in the direction of ‘moderate’ multi-ethnic government. Sixteen years later, we have a longer time period and larger volume of data to reassess these verdicts. This article investigates ballot transfer and party vote–seat share patterns in the seven deeply divided polities with some experience of preferential voting for legislative elections or direct presidential elections (Northern Ireland, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Estonia, Sri Lanka, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Southern Rhodesia). We find little support for centripetalist claims that such systems encourage ‘moderate’ parties. We argue that where district magnitude is low, where voters are required to rank preferences and where ticket voting prevails, departures from vote–seat proportionality may favour ‘moderate’ parties, but such heavily engineered systems may simply advantage the larger parties or yield erratic outcomes.
International recognition of the Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12
Authors: Kosyakov S I , Minavnina J V , Phillips J S , Yung M W
Published: March 2017

Objective:

The Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12 was developed initially in the UK to assess patient-reported health-related quality of life associated with chronic otitis media. This study aimed to determine whether this tool is applicable to the Russian population, which has a materially different healthcare system.

Method:

A total of 108 patients with different forms of chronic otitis media completed the Russian Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12.

Results:

The average Russian Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12 score was 19.4 (standard deviation = 8.3). The internal consistency of the Russian Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12 was high, with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.860.

Conclusion:

The Russian version of the Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12 was found to be a reliable tool for the assessment of health-related quality of life in patients with chronic otitis media. This sets the scene for international collaboration, using this tool to assess the effectiveness of surgical treatments even amongst countries with different healthcare systems.
ADHD patients fail to maintain task goals in face of subliminally and consciously induced cognitive conflicts
Authors: Gohil K. , Bluschke A. , Roessner V. , Stock A.-K. , Beste C.
Published: March 2017

Background

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients have been reported to display deficits in action control processes. While it is known that subliminally and consciously induced conflicts interact and conjointly modulate action control in healthy subjects, this has never been investigated for ADHD.

Method

We investigated the (potential) interaction of subliminally and consciously triggered response conflicts in children with ADHD and matched healthy controls using neuropsychological methods (event-related potentials; ERPs) to identify the involved cognitive sub-processes.

Results

Unlike healthy controls, ADHD patients showed no interaction of subliminally and consciously triggered response conflicts. Instead, they only showed additive effects as their behavioural performance (accuracy) was equally impaired by each conflict and they showed no signs of task-goal shielding even in cases of low conflict load. Of note, this difference between ADHD and controls was not rooted in early bottom-up attentional stimulus processing as reflected by the P1 and N1 ERPs. Instead, ADHD showed either no or reversed modulations of conflict-related processes and response selection as reflected by the N2 and P3 ERPs.

Conclusion

There are fundamental differences in the architecture of cognitive control which might be of use for future diagnostic procedures. Unlike healthy controls, ADHD patients do not seem to be endowed with a threshold which allows them to maintain high behavioural performance in the face of low conflict load. ADHD patients seem to lack sufficient top-down attentional resources to maintain correct response selection in the face of conflicts by shielding the response selection process from response tendencies evoked by any kind of distractor.
RESPONSE TIME VARIABILITY SIGNATURES OF NOVEL WORD LEARNING
Authors: Solovyeva Katya , DeKeyser Robert
Published: March 2017

Response time variability and its changes over time have been interpreted as indicative of levels of knowledge automatization. Predominantly, only declines in variability have been examined over the course of practice and growing second language proficiency. We discuss possible scenarios that may involve increasing, rather than declining variability, such as the establishment of new memory representations. We present repeated-measures lexical decision data on novel words encountered incidentally in a lexical decision task, which show increased variability as familiarity increases. Similar patterns were observed in our reanalyses of data from other novel word learning experiments with task demands different from ours: auditory presentation and a posttest after seven days (Brown & Gaskell, 2014), as well as picture-matching and production tests (Bartolotti & Marian, 2014). Jointly, these results suggest that when no prior representation of a word exists, increased variability may index learning during its initial stages.
Editorial?
Authors: RAE PAUL
Published: March 2017

‘In the humanities, journal decisions usually arrive by post.’ So wrote Wendy Laura Belcher in Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks, a guide otherwise full of good sense, and published as recently as 2009. It is easy to scoff at such anachronistic information. But to do so would be to overlook all the seemingly outdated practices and conventions involved in publishing an academic journal, not the least of which is the inclusion of an editorial such as the one you are reading. The majority of TRI articles are accessed online, a process that almost inevitably involves bypassing the editor's introduction, let alone appreciating the order of the articles’ appearance within the print copy, or allowing their ostensibly diverse concerns to resonate with and inflect each other. Just before I took over the senior editorship of this journal, I discussed the viability of the editorial with my predecessor, Charlotte Canning, questioning its relevance and necessity. Charlotte rightly pointed out that to give up the editorial would be to relinquish the opportunity to introduce each of the articles in their own right, as well as a platform from which the editor can frame the issue and provide a rationale for decisions made along the way.
Absence, Presence, Indexicality: TheMise en Scèneof ‘the Heart of Neolithic Orkney’
Authors: MARSHALL JONATHAN W.
Published: March 2017

I sketch those characteristics of themise en scèneat the Ring of Brodgar stone circle and associated sites that might solicit within the visitor something like a dynamic performance. Drawing on surrealism, Robert Smithson and archaeology, I argue that themise en scèneat Brodgar – and the visitor's response to it – is characterized by a sense of presence which exists in a dialectical tension with the perception of that which is absent. Brodgar is indexical (like a photograph) and hauntological, in semiotic terms. The Neolithic site is, at some level, unknowable. The visitor becomes aware of coincident yet incompatible manifestations of time and space (heterochronia) and imagines the potential return of unknown, cryptic ritual performances (metatheatre). This solicits within the viewer something akin to Max Ernst's model of frottage. As Breton put it, ‘The imaginary . . . tends to become real’.
High sedimentary oxygen consumption indicates that sewage input from small islands drives benthic community shifts on overfished reefs – ERRATUM
Authors: FORD AMANDA K. , VAN HOYTEMA NANNE , MOORE BRADLEY R. , PANDIHAU LINA , WILD CHRISTIAN , FERSE SEBASTIAN C. A.
Published: March 2017

In the article above there is a spelling mistake in the Figure 3 legend. Largge should be Large. The correct Figure 3 legend is shown below:-

Figure 3 Biomass values of herbivorous fish functional groups – browsers, grazers and detritivores, and scrapers and small excavators – for each island. Large excavators and bioeroders were not observed, and thus are not included in the graph.

Page 5, right column in the ‘Ecological perspective and management implications section’, in the second paragraph the third sentence should read . . .One potential management tool that considers these needs and limitations is the installation of composting toilets, after due consideration of local cultural sensitivities. . .

The publisher apologises for these errors.
Fungal endocarditis in paediatrics: a review of 192 cases (1971–2016)
Authors: Ganesan Vithiya , Ponnusamy Shunmuga Sundaram , Sundaramurthy Raja
Published: March 2017

Background

The aims of this article were to review the published literature on fungal endocarditis in children and to discuss the aetiology and diagnosis, with emphasis on non-invasive methods and various treatment regimes.

Methods

We systematically reviewed published cases and case series of fungal endocarditis in children. We searched the literature, including PubMed and individual references for publications of original articles, single cases, or case series of paediatric fungal endocarditis, with the following keywords: “fungal endocarditis”, “neonates”, “infants”, “child”, and “cardiac vegetation”.

Results

There have been 192 documented cases of fungal endocarditis in paediatrics. The highest number of cases was reported in infants (93/192, 48%) including 60 in neonates. Of the neonatal cases, 57 were premature with a median gestational age of 27 weeks and median birth weight of 860 g. Overall, 120 yeast – fungus that grows as a single cell – infections and 43 mould – fungus that grows in multicellular filaments, hyphae – infections were reported. With increasing age, there was an increased infection rate with moulds. All the yeast infections were detected by blood culture. In cases with mould infection, diagnosis was mainly established by culture or histology of emboli or infected valves after invasive surgical procedures. There have been a few recent cases of successful early diagnosis by non-invasive methods such as blood polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for moulds. The overall mortality for paediatric fungal endocarditis was 56.25%. The most important cause of death was cardiac complications due to heart failure. Among the various treatment regimens used, none of them was significantly associated with better outcome.

Conclusions

Non-invasive methods such as PCR tests can be used to improve the chances of detecting and identifying the aetiological agent in a timely manner. Delays in the diagnosis of these infections may result in high mortality and morbidity. No significant difference was noted between combined surgical and medical therapy over exclusively combined medical therapy.
Use of a Novel, Portable, LED-Based Capillary Refill Time Simulator within a Disaster Triage Context
Authors: Chang Todd P. , Santillanes Genevieve , Claudius Ilene , Pham Phung K. , Koved James , Cheyne John , Gausche-Hill Marianne , Kaji Amy H. , Srinivasan Saranya , Donofrio J. Joelle , Bir Cynthia
Published: March 2017

Introduction

A simple, portable capillary refill time (CRT) simulator is not commercially available. This device would be useful in mass-casualty simulations with multiple volunteers or mannequins depicting a variety of clinical findings and CRTs. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a prototype CRT simulator in a disaster simulation context.

Methods

A CRT prototype simulator was developed by embedding a pressure-sensitive piezo crystal, and a single red light-emitting diode (LED) light was embedded, within a flesh-toned resin. The LED light was programmed to turn white proportionate to the pressure applied, and gradually to return to red on release. The time to color return was adjustable with an external dial. The prototype was tested for feasibility among two cohorts: emergency medicine physicians in a tabletop exercise and second year medical students within an actual disaster triage drill. The realism of the simulator was compared to video-based CRT, and participants used a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from “completely artificial” to “as if on a real patient.” The VAS evaluated both the visual realism and the functional (eg, tactile) realism. Accuracy of CRT was evaluated only by the physician cohort. Data were analyzed using parametric and non-parametric statistics, and mean Cohen’s Kappas were used to describe inter-rater reliability.

Results

The CRT simulator was generally well received by the participants. The simulator was perceived to have slightly higher functional realism (P=.06, P=.01) but lower visual realism (P=.002, P=.11) than the video-based CRT. Emergency medicine physicians had higher accuracy on portrayed CRT on the simulator than the videos (92.6% versus 71.1%; P<.001). Inter-rater reliability was higher for the simulator (0.78 versus 0.27; P<.001).

Conclusions

A simple, LED-based CRT simulator was well received in both settings. Prior to widespread use for disaster triage training, validation on participants’ ability to accurately triage disaster victims using CRT simulators and video-based CRT simulations should be performed.

ChangTP,SantillanesG,ClaudiusI,PhamPK,KovedJ,CheyneJ,Gausche-HillM,KajiAH,SrinivasanS,DonofrioJJ,BirC.Use of a novel, portable, LED-based capillary refill time simulator within a disaster triage context.Prehosp Disaster Med.2017;32(4):451–456.
Toward a Better Nutritional Aiding in Disasters: Relying on Lessons Learned during the Bam Earthquake
Authors: Nekouie Moghadam Mahmoud , Amiresmaieli Mohammadreza , Hassibi Mohammad , Doostan Farideh , Khosravi Sajad
Published: March 2017

Introduction

Examining various problems in the aftermath of disasters is very important to the disaster victims. Managing and coordinating food supply and its distribution among the victims is one of the most important problems after an earthquake. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to recognize problems and experiences in the field of nutritional aiding during an earthquake.

Methods

This qualitative study was of phenomenological type. Using the purposive sampling method, 10 people who had experienced nutritional aiding during the Bam Earthquake (Iran; 2003) were interviewed. Colaizzi’s method of analysis was used to analyze interview data.

Results

The findings of this study identified four main categories and 19 sub-categories concerning challenges in the nutritional aiding during the Bam Earthquake. The main topics included managerial, aiding, infrastructural, and administrative problems.

Conclusions

The major problems in nutritional aiding include lack of prediction and development of a specific program of suitable nutritional pattern and nutritional assessment of the victims in critical conditions. Forming specialized teams, educating team members about nutrition, and making use of experts’ knowledge are the most important steps to resolve these problems in the critical conditions; these measures are the duties of the relevant authorities.

Nekouie MoghadamM,AmiresmaieliM,HassibiM,DoostanF,KhosraviS.Toward a better nutritional aiding in disasters: relying on lessons learned during the Bam Earthquake.Prehosp Disaster Med.2017;32(4):382–386.
Academic Outcomes in Individuals With Childhood-Onset Epilepsy: Mediating Effects of Working Memory
Authors: Danguecan Ashley N. , Smith Mary Lou
Published: March 2017

Objectives:Academic difficulties are common in children with epilepsy, although little is known about the effect of various seizure-related and cognitive variables. Given that persistent seizures may negatively impact academics, and that working memory is predictive of academic abilities, we examined the effects of recent seizures and working memory on word reading, spelling, and arithmetic in pediatric epilepsy. We hypothesized that persistent seizures would be associated with lower working memory ability, which would in turn result in poorer academic performance.Methods:Our sample consisted of 91 children with epilepsy being treated at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, who underwent neuropsychological testing between 2002 and 2009 to help determine surgical candidacy. Four to 11 years later, follow-up testing was conducted on both surgical (n=61) and non-surgical (n=30) patients. Seizure status was defined by the presence or absence of seizures within the preceding 12 months.Results:5000 bias-corrected bootstrap resamples with replacement were used to calculate the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the indirect effect of seizure status on academics through working memory, controlling for baseline academic functioning. Persistent seizures were associated with reduced working memory, which was in turn associated with lower reading (B=−4.64, 95% CI [−10.21, −1.30]), spelling (B=−7.09, 95% CI [−13.97, −2.56], and arithmetic scores (B=−8.04, 95% CI [−13.66, −3.58] at follow-up.Conclusions:For children with intractable epilepsy, working memory deficits present a significant barrier to the development of academic skills. Working memory interventions may be a helpful adjunct to academic remediation in this population to facilitate academic progress. (JINS, 2017,23, 594–604)
Depletion of the global carbon budget: a user cost approach
Authors: Barbier Edward B. , Burgess Joanne C.
Published: March 2017

The Fifth IPCC Assessment Report estimates the world's ‘carbon budget’, which is the cumulative amount of anthropogenic CO2emissions limiting global warming below 2°C. We model this carbon budget as a resource asset depleted by annual GHG emissions, and estimate the user cost associated with depletion. For constant emissions, social welfare increases US$3.3 trillion (6 per cent of global GDP) over the business as usual scenario of growing emissions, and the carbon budget's lifetime increases from 18 to 21 years. For declining emissions, the gain is US$10.4 trillion (19 per cent of global GDP), and the budget's lifetime is 30 years. Extending indefinitely the lifetime of the carbon budget would require emissions to fall exponentially by 4.8 per cent or more. Although the Paris Agreement abatement pledges will generate social gains of US$2–2.5 trillion (4–5 per cent of world GDP), they are insufficient to prevent depletion of the 2°C global carbon budget by 2030.
The association between Dietary Inflammatory Index scores and the prevalence of colorectal adenoma
Authors: Haslam Alyson , Wagner Robb Sara , Hébert James R , Huang Hanwen , Wirth Michael D , Shivappa Nitin , Ebell Mark H
Published: March 2017

Objective

The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII)TM, which was developed to characterize the inflammatory potential of a person’s diet, has been shown to be associated with inflammatory conditions such as cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the association between DII scores and colorectal adenoma (CRA), a pre-cancerous condition.

Design

Responses to baseline dietary questionnaires were used calculate DII scores. In a cross-sectional study design, the association between DII scores and CRA prevalence was determined in men and women separately using logistic regression models.

Setting

Ten cancer screening centres across the USA.

Subjects

Participants were those included in the screening arm of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial.

Results

Among the 44 278 individuals included in these analyses, men with diets in the most inflammatory quartile of DII scores had higher odds of all types of CRA (advanced, non-advanced and multiple (>1)) compared with those with diets in the least inflammatory quartile of DII scores. In fully adjusted models, compared with those with DII scores in quartile 1 (least inflammatory), males with DII scores in quartile 3 (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1·28; 95 % CI 1·12, 1·47) and quartile 4 (aOR=1·41; 95 % CI 1·23, 1·62) were more likely to have prevalent distal CRA. Higher DII scores, representing a more inflammatory diet, also were weakly associated with a higher prevalence of CRA in women.

Conclusions

Implementing an anti-inflammatory diet may be an effective means of primary prevention of CRA, especially in men.