bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of Incensole in Three Boswellia Species by NIR Spectroscopy Coupled with PLSR and Cross‐Validation by HPLC
Authors: Al‐Shidhani Sulaiman , Rehman Najeeb Ur , Mabood Fazal , Al‐Broumi Muhammed , Hussain Hidayat , Hussain Javid , Csuk Rene , Al‐Harrasi Ahmed
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Incensole can be considered as a biomarker for Boswellia species which is a diterpene that has received remarkable pharmacological interest recently due to its potent anti‐inflammatory and anti‐depressant activity.

Objective

Near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy coupled with PLSR (partial least squares regression) as a robust, rapid and alternative method was used to quantify the content of incensole in three species namely B. papyrifera, B. sacra and B. serrata and cross‐validated by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Materials and Methods

NIR spectrophotometer was used for the quantification of incensole standards and Boswellia species in absorption mode in the wavelength range between 700 and 2500 nm. A PLSR model was built from the obtained spectral data using 70% of the incensole working standard solutions (training set), ranging from 0.5 to 100 ppm. The PLSR model obtained has a R2 value of 98% with a correlationship of 0.99 and a good prediction with root mean square error for prediction (RMSEP) value of 3.2%.

Results

The results indicated that the methanol (MeOH) extract of B. papyrifera resin has the highest concentration of incensole (18.4%) followed by n‐hexane (13.5%) and ethyl acetate (3.6%) while trace amounts was detected in the fractions of B. sacra and no incensole was detected in the fractions of B. serrata.

Conclusion

The findings are in total agreement with the HPLC analysis suggesting that NIR spectroscopy coupled with PLSR is a robust, rapid and non‐destructive alternate method for the quantification of incensole in B. papyrifera. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intra uterine sludge does not rule out anal ATRESIA
Authors: Burke Yechiel , Gilboa Yinon , Bronshtein Moshe
Published: January 2018

What's already known about this topic?

It is known that the fetus defecates in utero.

It is known that feces appear as sludge on ultrasound.

What does this study add?

The fact that the presence of sludge on a detailed scan does not rule out anal atresia.
Prolonged grief disorder and depression are distinct for caregivers across their first bereavement year
Authors: Tsai Wei‐I , Kuo Su‐Ching , Wen Fur‐Hsing , Prigerson Holly G. , Tang Siew Tzuh
Published: January 2018

Background

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and depression are recognized as distinct emotional‐distress disorders for bereaved family caregivers. However, this distinction has been mostly validated in cross‐sectional studies, neglecting the dynamic characteristics of bereaved caregivers' emotional distress.

Objective

To validate the distinction between symptoms of PGD and depression across the first bereavement year for family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients.

Methods

In this descriptive, longitudinal study of 394 bereaved Taiwanese family caregivers, we measured symptoms of PGD and depression by the Prolonged Grief‐13 and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES‐D) scales at 6 and 13 months postloss, respectively. Agreement between cases of PGD and severe depressive symptoms (CES‐D score ≥ 16) was analyzed by Cohen's kappa. Structural distinctiveness was longitudinally examined using confirmatory bifactor modeling.

Results

Agreement was poor between cases of PGD and severe depressive symptoms at 6 and 13 months postloss (kappa = .16 [confidence interval = .09, .22] and .12 [confidence interval = .03, .19], respectively). Symptoms of PGD and depression shared a general factor, but were distinct as shown by their significant specific factor loadings at 6 and 13 months postloss. Confirmatory bifactor models showed structural invariance (confirmatory fit index difference < .01 and χ2 difference P > .05) between 6 and 13 months postloss.

Conclusion

Symptoms of PGD and depression were confirmed as distinct across the first year of bereavement. Health care professionals should recognize early in bereavement that symptoms of PGD and depression are distinct, identify high‐risk groups, and provide care tailored to caregivers' unique needs to facilitate recovery from bereavement‐related emotional‐distress disorders.
Magnetic Response of Metamaterials
Authors: Juárez‐Reyes Lucila , Mochán W. Luis
Published: January 2018

We present a general numerical approach for the calculation of the non‐local macroscopic dielectric response of a binary metamaterial made of arbitrary non‐magnetic materials with any geometry. From the spatial dispersion of the permittivity, characterized by its dependence on the wavevector, we obtain the corresponding effective local macroscopic permeability of the metamaterial. We illustrate our computational approach by calculating the permeability of two‐dimensional split‐ring resonators and validate the results through comparison with those of simple models. Our scheme may be further applied to arbitrary geometries. We discuss the limitations of the local permeability approach.
Strain Tuning in Complex Oxide Epitaxial Films Using an Ultrathin Strontium Aluminate Buffer Layer
Authors: Lu Di , Hikita Yasuyuki , Baek David J. , Merz Tyler A. , Sato Hiroki , Kim Bongju , Yajima Takeaki , Bell Christopher , Vailionis Arturas , Kourkoutis Lena F. , Hwang Harold Y.
Published: January 2018

A reliable method to apply biaxial strain over a wide range of values with minimal dislocation generation is critical for the study of strain dependent physical properties in oxide thin films and heterostructures. In this work, we systematically controlled the strain state in a perovskite manganite thin film by as much as 1% using a new ultrathin strain‐releasing buffer layer Sr3Al2O6, and observed signatures of accompanying magnetic and metal–insulator transitions. The near‐zero strain state is achieved within five nanometers of buffer layer thickness, substantially thinner than any oxide epitaxial buffer layers that can continuously tune the film strain states. Furthermore, the majority of misfit dislocations were confined to the Sr3Al2O6 layer, structurally decoupling defects in the film from the substrate.
Valence bonds in elongated boron clusters
Authors: Arvanitidis Athanasios G. , Lim Kie Zen , Havenith Remco W. A. , Ceulemans Arnout
Published: January 2018

A well‐defined class of planar or quasi‐planar elongated boron clusters, of type
, serves as a basis to identify the valence bond picture of delocalized boron networks. The origin of the series is the
cluster, which exhibits σ‐aromaticity. The cluster generating step is the repetitive expansion by three boron atoms in the direction of elongation. Specific electron counting rules are obtained for π‐bonding, peripheral σ‐bonding and multicenter inner σ‐bonding. A valence bond structure is introduced which explains the remarkable regularity in the bonding pattern. The analysis supports 4c‐2e bonds as an alternative to the common 3c‐2e bonds. The results are validated by symmetry induction and ab initio calculations.
Relativistic effects on inversion barriers of pyramidal group 15 hydrides
Authors: Santiago Régis T. , Haiduke Roberto L. A.
Published: January 2018

Quantum chemistry is an important tool for determining general molecular properties, although relativistic corrections are usually required for systems containing heavy and super heavy elements. Non‐relativistic along with relativistic two‐ and four‐component electronic structure calculations done with the CCSD‐T method and the new RPF‐4Z basis set have therefore been applied for determining inversion barriers, corresponding to the change from a pyramidal (C3v) ground‐state structure to the trigonal planar (D3h) transition state, TS, of group 15 hydrides, XH3 (X= N, P, As, Sb, and Bi). The ground‐state structure of the McH3 molecule, which contains the super heavy element Moscovium, is also predicted as pyramidal (C3v), with an atomization energy of 90.8 kcal mol−1. However, although non‐relativistic calculations still provided a D3h planar TS for McH3, four‐component relativistic calculations based on single‐reference wave functions are unable to elucidate the definitive TS geometry in this case. Hence, the results show that relativistic effects are crucial for this barrier determination in those hydrides containing Bi and Mc. Moreover, while the scalar relativistic effects predominate, increasing barrier heights by as much as 17.6 kcal mol−1 (32%) in BiH3, the spin‐orbit coupling cannot be disregarded in those hydrides containing the heaviest group 15 elements, decreasing the barrier by 2.5 kcal mol−1 (4.5%) in this same molecule.
On the total variation distance between the binomial random graph and the random intersection graph
Authors: Kim Jeong Han , Lee Sang June , Na Joohan
Published: January 2018

When each vertex is assigned a set, the intersection graph generated by the sets is the graph in which two distinct vertices are joined by an edge if and only if their assigned sets have a nonempty intersection. An interval graph is an intersection graph generated by intervals in the real line. A chordal graph can be considered as an intersection graph generated by subtrees of a tree. In 1999, Karoński, Scheinerman, and Singer‐Cohen introduced a random intersection graph by taking randomly assigned sets. The random intersection graph has n vertices and sets assigned to the vertices are chosen to be i.i.d. random subsets of a fixed set M of size m where each element of M belongs to each random subset with probability p, independently of all other elements in M. In 2000, Fill, Scheinerman, and Singer‐Cohen showed that the total variation distance between the random graph and the Erdös‐Rényi graph tends to 0 for any if , where is chosen so that the expected numbers of edges in the two graphs are the same. In this paper, it is proved that the total variation distance still tends to 0 for any whenever .
A simple extraction of blue fountain ink dye (Acid blue 93) from water solutions using Magnetic Textile Solid‐Phase Extraction
Authors: Safarik Ivo , Pospiskova Kristyna
Published: January 2018

A recently developed preconcentration procedure “magnetic textile solid‐phase extraction”, based on the use of a magnetically modified textile impregnated with chitosan, was successfully employed for the preconcentration of blue fountain ink dye Acid blue 93 from extremely diluted solutions. This procedure enabled to detect ink dye released from ink written documents immersed in water. The developed procedure can be easily adapted for the detection of large variety of analytes important for environmental, biochemical and forensic analysis.
Multilabel feature selection: A comprehensive review and guiding experiments
Authors: Kashef Shima , Nezamabadi‐pour Hossein , Nikpour Bahareh
Published: January 2018

Feature selection has been an important issue in machine learning and data mining, and is unavoidable when confronting with high‐dimensional data. With the advent of multilabel (ML) datasets and their vast applications, feature selection methods have been developed for dimensionality reduction and improvement of the classification performance. In this work, we provide a comprehensive review of the existing multilabel feature selection (ML‐FS) methods, and categorize these methods based on different perspectives. As feature selection and data classification are closely related to each other, we provide a review on ML learning algorithms as well. Also, to facilitate research in this field, a section is provided for setup and benchmarking that presents evaluation measures, standard datasets, and existing software for ML data. At the end of this survey, we discuss some challenges and open problems in this field that can be pursued by researchers in future. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2018, 8:e1240. doi: 10.1002/widm.1240

This article is categorized under:

Technologies > Data Preprocessing
An Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocol for Ambulatory Anorectal Surgery Reduced Postoperative Pain and Unplanned Returns to Care After Discharge
Authors: Parrish Aaron B. , O’Neill Sean M. , Crain Steven R. , Russell Tara A. , Sonthalia Deepak K. , Nguyen Vu T. , Aboulian Armen
Published: January 2018

Background

Ambulatory surgery for anorectal procedures has been proven to be safe and effective. Specific perioperative pathways combining multiple interventions have been shown to optimize recovery and outcomes associated with inpatient colorectal surgery. However, there are no major studies describing and evaluating a standardized protocol for ambulatory anorectal surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a modified enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for ambulatory anorectal surgery.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of prospectively collected data from 14 Southern California Kaiser Permanente medical centers. An eight‐item protocol including: preoperative education, preoperative distribution of prescriptions, preoperative carbohydrate treatment, multimodal analgesia, preferential use of monitored anesthesia care (MAC), routine use of local anesthesia/regional blocks, intraoperative restriction of intravenous fluids, and post‐discharge phone call. Postoperative pain scores and preventable returns to the emergency department or urgent care were assessed.

Results

Postoperative pain scores were reduced when all eight elements of the protocol were delivered (p = 0.005). On multivariate analysis, there was reduced postoperative pain when preoperative carbohydrate treatment was completed (p = 0.002), with MAC (p = 0.003), and when multimodal analgesia was used (p = 0.02). There were decreased preventable returns to the emergency department or urgent care when MAC was used (p = 0.03); there were more returns for constipation (p = 0.04) but fewer returns for pain (p = 0.002) after preoperative carbohydrate treatment. Local anesthesia was associated with fewer returns for constipation (p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Implementation of a standardized ERAS protocol for ambulatory anorectal surgery decreased postoperative pain and unplanned return visits to emergency care.
Are Promoters Valuable Customers? An Application of the Net Promoter Scale to Predict Future Customer Spend
Authors: Mecredy Philip , Wright Malcolm J. , Feetham Pamela
Published: January 2018

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is widely used in industry to measure loyalty and predict revenue growth. The mechanisms underpinning this revenue growth are thought to be (i) positive recommendation from loyal customers to potential customers, and (ii) increased purchases from the existing base of loyal customers. These claims are controversial, with both the methodology and the performance of NPS being challenged by a number of researchers. The present study adds evidence to this debate through the analysis of a repeated cross-sectional data set (n = 2785) from a services company operating in a business to business context in the New Zealand primary sector. The data include recommendation scores matched to past, current and future revenue, at both the aggregate and individual level, over a five-year period. The analysis of this data provides directional support for the association between NPS and company revenue growth, and confirms that promoters do spend more in the current year. However, the analysis shows promoters to be a relatively minor and inconsistent source of same-customer revenue growth, with same-customer growth mostly arising from a general increase across the whole customer base.
DNA damage‐associated oligodendrocyte degeneration precedes amyloid pathology and contributes to Alzheimer's disease and dementia
Authors: Tse Kai‐Hei , Cheng Aifang , Ma Fulin , Herrup Karl
Published: January 2018

Introduction

In looking for novel non‐amyloid‐based etiologies for Alzheimer's disease, we explore the hypothesis that age‐related myelin loss is an attractive explanation for age‐associated cognitive decline and dementia.

Methods

We performed a meta‐analysis of data in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center database accompanied by quantitative histopathology of myelin and oligodendrocytes (OLs) in frontal cortices of 24 clinically characterized individuals. Pathological findings were further validated in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model and in culture.

Results

Myelin lesions increased with cognitive impairment in an amyloid‐independent fashion with signs of degeneration appearing before neuronal loss. Myelinating OLs in the gray matter showed greater vulnerability than those in white matter, and the degenerative changes correlated with evidence of DNA damage. Similar results were found in myelinating OL cultures where DNA damage caused aberrant OL cell cycle re‐entry and death.

Discussion

We present the first comprehensive analysis of the cell biology of early myelin loss in sporadic Alzheimer's disease.
A rise of state activism in a competitive industry: The case of Russian retail trade law of 2009
Authors: Radaev Vadim
Published: January 2018

The paper is aimed at exploring the Russian state return to the highly competitive industry of retail trade by adopting restrictive industry-specific legislation in 2009.We reveal a new precedent model of governance using the liberal rhetoric of the competition protection to justify intervention in interfirm contractual relations. We use survey data collected from 843 retailers and suppliers in 2013 to demonstrate that the new legislation had not achieved the proclaimed goals. The paper concludes that instead of market facilitation, the new state activism leads to the further suppression of business and the subversion of antimonopoly policy.
Tratamento das lesões musculares agudas da coxa com ou sem punção do hematoma em atletas
Authors: Sales Rodrigo , Cavalcante Marcelo , Cohen Moisés , Ejnisman Benno , Andreoli Carlos , Pochini Alberto
Published: January 2018

Comparar o tempo médio de retorno dos atletas ao esporte após lesão muscular aguda da coxa com hematoma que foi ou não puncionado.

Estudo longitudinal de intervenção clínica, controlado e não randomizado, com participação de 20 atletas amadores e profissionais com lesão muscular aguda do tipo parcial moderada ou (sub)total na região da coxa, segundo a classificação do Consenso de Munique. Nove atletas foram incluídos no grupo intervenção e 11 no grupo controle. Os atletas do grupo intervenção foram submetidos a punção do hematoma e fisioterapia e os do grupo controle, apenas a fisioterapia. A variável tempo de retorno ao esporte foi analisada com o teste de Mann-Whitney e o nível de significância usado foi 95% (p < 0,05).

A população estudada foi composta principalmente por homens, dos quais oito eram praticantes de esportes no nível amador. Três mulheres, das quais duas eram amadoras, foram incluídas no estudo. A média de idade dos participantes foi de 34,70 ± 12,79 anos. Houve 13 indivíduos com lesões na região posterior da coxa, cinco com lesões na região anterior e dois com lesões na região adutora. Considerando todas as lesões, o tempo médio de retorno ao esporte foi de 48,50 ± 27,50 dias no grupo intervenção. Já no grupo controle, esse intervalo foi de 102,09 ± 52,02 dias (p = 0,022).

No presente estudo, a punção do hematoma muscular mostrou-se efetiva em abreviar o tempo de retorno ao esporte dos atletas com lesões musculares parciais moderadas e (sub)totais associadas a hematomas.
A Practical Guide to Experimental Geometrical Optics
Authors: Garbovskiy Yuriy A. , Glushchenko Anatoliy V.
Published: January 2018

A concise, yet deep introduction to experimental, geometrical optics, this book begins with fundamental concepts and then develops the practical skills and research techniques routinely used in modern laboratories. Suitable for students, researchers and optical engineers, this accessible text teaches readers how to build their own optical laboratory and to design and perform optical experiments. It uses a hands-on approach which fills a gap between theory-based textbooks and laboratory manuals, allowing the reader to develop their practical skills in this interdisciplinary field, and also explores the ways in which this knowledge can be applied to the design and production of commercial optical devices. Including supplementary online resources to help readers track and evaluate their experimental results, this text is the ideal companion for anyone with a practical interest in experimental geometrical optics.
A NEURAL-NETWORK ANALYZER FOR MORTALITY FORECAST
Authors: Hainaut Donatien
Published: January 2018

This article proposes a neural-network approach to predict and simulate human mortality rates. This semi-parametric model is capable to detect and duplicate non-linearities observed in the evolution of log-forces of mortality. The method proceeds in two steps. During the first stage, a neural-network-based generalization of the principal component analysis summarizes the information carried by the surface of log-mortality rates in a small number of latent factors. In the second step, these latent factors are forecast with an econometric model. The term structure of log-forces of mortality is next reconstructed by an inverse transformation. The neural analyzer is adjusted to French, UK and US mortality rates, over the period 1946–2000 and validated with data from 2001 to 2014. Numerical experiments reveal that the neural approach has an excellent predictive power, compared to the Lee–Carter model with and without cohort effects.
Topic, Focus and null subjects in Old French
Authors: Ingham Richard
Published: January 2018

Old French subject pronouns (Spro) were omissible if postverbal (Foulet 1928), but not freely so (Vance 1997, Zimmermann 2014). This article addresses their partial omissibility in discourse-syntax terms, following work on partial null subject languages by Holmberg and Nikanne (2002) and Modesto (2008). An observational study of dialogic responses in 13th century prose romances is first reported, finding strong indications of covariation between the Topic/Focus status of an initial non-subject constituent and the expression/omission of post-verbal Spro. A quantitative investigation, in such texts, of preposed discourse-linked anaphoric constituents and preposed intensifiers, taken as diagnostic of Topichood and Focushood respectively, confirmed this analysis. We take null Spro to be available (i) when a null Topic operator targets left-peripheral TopicP, and (ii) with a left-peripheral Focused expression. When a discourse-linked non-subject constituent occupies TopicP, however, Spro must be overt.
Satisfaction with Post-Acute-Care Rehabilitation Services Following Acquired Brain Injury: Family Perspectives
Authors: Degeneffe Charles Edmund , Green Richard , Jones Clair
Published: January 2018

The study is aimed to better understand how post-acute-care services help persons with acquired brain injury (ABI) and their families following acute-care discharge. Participants included 21 primary family caregivers of persons with ABI. Participants reported their level of satisfaction with 14 different post-acute-care ABI services following discharge from an acute-care ABI facility in a large south-western city in the United States. Participants completed a survey following the discharge (on average 8.1 months) of their family member from acute-care services. Surveys included both quantitative and open-ended questions. The present study focused on participant satisfaction ratings and perceptions of helpfulness among the 14 different service areas. The average satisfaction rating across the 14 service areas was 73.4%. Professional consultation and assessment (81.8%) received the highest satisfaction rating, followed by therapy and intervention (77.9%), and peer support (51.9%). Open-ended question responses on the helpfulness of post-acute-care services focused on (a) therapy and intervention and (b) professional consultation and assessment. Study findings highlight the need to track the use of ABI services from the acute-phase through long-term community adjustment. Findings also underscore the importance of targeting interventions and services specific to the post-acute phase of ABI rehabilitation.
EQUIVALENT DEFINITIONS OF SUPERSTABILITY IN TAME ABSTRACT ELEMENTARY CLASSES
Authors: GROSSBERG RAMI , VASEY SEBASTIEN
Published: January 2018

In the context of abstract elementary classes (AECs) with a monster model, several possible definitions of superstability have appeared in the literature. Among them are no long splitting chains, uniqueness of limit models, and solvability. Under the assumption that the class is tame and stable, we show that (asymptotically) no long splitting chains implies solvability and uniqueness of limit models implies no long splitting chains. Using known implications, we can then conclude that all the previously-mentioned definitions (and more) are equivalent:

Corollary.LetKbe a tame AEC with a monster model. Assume thatKis stable in a proper class of cardinals. The following are equivalent:

(1)

For all high-enough λ,Khas no long splitting chains.

(2)

For all high-enough λ, there exists a good λ-frame on a skeleton ofKλ.

(3)

For all high-enough λ,Khas a unique limit model of cardinality λ.

(4)

For all high-enough λ,Khas a superlimit model of cardinality λ.

(5)

For all high-enough λ, the union of any increasing chain of λ-saturated models is λ-saturated.

(6)

There exists μ such that for all high-enough λ,Kis (λ,μ) -solvable.

This gives evidence that there is a clear notion of superstability in the framework of tame AECs with a monster model.
ON DEFINABLE SKOLEM FUNCTIONS IN WEAKLY O-MINIMAL NONVALUATIONAL STRUCTURES
Authors: ELEFTHERIOU PANTELIS E. , HASSON ASSAF , KEREN GIL
Published: January 2018

We prove that all known examples of weakly o-minimal nonvaluational structures have no definable Skolem functions. We show, however, that such structures eliminate imaginaries up to definable families of cuts. Along the way we give some new examples of weakly o-minimal nonvaluational structures.
ON THE UNIFORM COMPUTATIONAL CONTENT OF RAMSEY’S THEOREM
Authors: BRATTKA VASCO , RAKOTONIAINA TAHINA
Published: January 2018

We study the uniform computational content of Ramsey’s theorem in the Weihrauch lattice. Our central results provide information on how Ramsey’s theorem behaves under product, parallelization, and jumps. From these results we can derive a number of important properties of Ramsey’s theorem. For one, the parallelization of Ramsey’s theorem for cardinalityn≥ 1 and an arbitrary finite number of colorsk≥ 2 is equivalent to then-th jump of weak Kőnig’s lemma. In particular, Ramsey’s theorem for cardinalityn≥ 1 is${\bf{\Sigma }}_{n + 2}^0$-measurable in the effective Borel hierarchy, but not${\bf{\Sigma }}_{n + 1}^0$-measurable. Secondly, we obtain interesting lower bounds, for instance then-th jump of weak Kőnig’s lemma is Weihrauch reducible to (the stable version of) Ramsey’s theorem of cardinalityn+ 2 forn≥ 2. We prove that with strictly increasing numbers of colors Ramsey’s theorem forms a strictly increasing chain in the Weihrauch lattice. Our study of jumps also shows that certain uniform variants of Ramsey’s theorem that are indistinguishable from a nonuniform perspective play an important role. For instance, the colored version of Ramsey’s theorem explicitly includes the color of the homogeneous set as output information, and the jump of this problem (but not the uncolored variant) is equivalent to the stable version of Ramsey’s theorem of the next greater cardinality. Finally, we briefly discuss the particular case of Ramsey’s theorem for pairs, and we provide some new separation techniques for problems that involve jumps in this context. In particular, we study uniform results regarding the relation of boundedness and induction problems to Ramsey’s theorem, and we show that there are some significant differences with the nonuniform situation in reverse mathematics.
Urban climate change, livelihood vulnerability and narratives of generational responsibility in Jinja, Uganda
Authors: McQuaid Katie , Vanderbeck Robert M. , Valentine Gill , Liu Chen , Chen Lily , Zhang Mei , Diprose Kristina
Published: January 2018

There is an urgent need to understand lived experiences of climate change in the context of African cities, where even small climate shocks can have significant implications for the livelihoods of the urban poor. This article examines narratives of climate and livelihood changes within Jinja Municipality, Uganda, emphasizing how Jinja's residents make sense of climate change through their own narrative frames rather than through the lens of global climate change discourses. We demonstrate how the onset of climate change in Jinja is widely attributed to perceived moral and environmental failings on the part of a present generation that is viewed as both more destructive than previous generations and unable to preserve land, trees and other resources for future generations. A focus on local ontologies of climate change highlights how the multiple, intersecting vulnerabilities of contemporary urban life in Jinja serve to obfuscate not only the conditions of possibility of an immediate future, but the longer-term horizons for future generations, as changing weather patterns exacerbate existing challenges people face in adapting to wider socio-economic changes and rising livelihood vulnerability. This form of analysis situates changing climate and environments within the context of everyday urban struggles and emphasizes the need for civic participation in developing climate change strategies that avoid the pitfalls of climate reductionism. The article draws on more than 150 qualitative interviews, generational dialogue groups, and creative methods based on research-led community theatre.
Urban development and emerging relations of informal property and land-based authority in Accra
Authors: Stacey Paul
Published: January 2018

Rural–urban migration leads to ever increasing numbers of Africans living in informal settlements. In Accra's largest informal settlement, Old Fadama, residents by definition have no statutory rights to the land and their building activities undermine formal state law and state-recognized customary landowners. Statutory institutions are unable to enforce property rights and alternative interests emerge and organize. In multiple and fragmented ways, local stakeholders create and define their own informal relations of property and land-based authority. This article examines four cases of land transfers, building and development in the settlement that involve a variety of local, national and global actors. Their actions show the contemporaneous making and unmaking of different relations of property and land-based control and authority in the densely populated urban site. Important features of urban development in Accra are thereby shown to be variations in property relations and the multitude of actors that validate land use but that circumvent statutory institutions.
Three nineteenth-century Southern African San myths: a study in meaning
Authors: Lewis-Williams J. David
Published: January 2018

Indigenous significances of nineteenth-century |Xam San folktales are hard to determine from narrative structure alone. When verbatim, original-language records are available, meaning can be elicited by probing beneath the narrative and exploring the connotations of highly significant words and phrases that imply meanings and associations that narrators take for granted but that nonetheless contextualize the tales. Analyses of this kind show that three selected |Xam tales deal with a form of spiritual conflict that has social implications. Like numerous |Xam myths, these tales concern conflict between people and living or dead malevolent shamans. Using their supernatural potency, benign shamans transcend the levels of the San cosmos in order to deal with social conflict and to protect material resources. As a result, benign shamans enjoy a measure of respect that sets them apart from ordinary people.
Effect of long-term nutraceutical and dietary supplement use on cognition in the elderly: a 10-year systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Authors: D’Cunha Nathan M. , Georgousopoulou Ekavi N. , Dadigamuwage Lakshika , Kellett Jane , Panagiotakos Demosthenes B. , Thomas Jackson , McKune Andrew J. , Mellor Duane D. , Naumovski Nenad
Published: January 2018

Nutraceuticals have generated interest as a way to mitigate the cognitive decline in older adults. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the evidence for these claims from the scientific literature in randomised, double-blinded, controlled trials (duration: ≥1 year; participants:n≥100; age(mean): ≥65 years). Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and Web of Science) and identified twenty-five studies published between the 15·June·2006 and 14·June·2016. Interventions included B-vitamins,n-3 fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins and herbs. Of the B-vitamin studies, four found benefits to cognition with supplementation. The first of these B-vitamin studies, in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (n266; duration=2 years), included benefit to executive function (P=0·015) and improvements in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) among participants with baseline homocysteine above 11·3 µmol/l (P<0·001). In the same sample, the second study found cognitive benefits of B-vitamins dependent on the higher baseline plasman-3 fatty acid status. The third B-vitamin study (n900; duration=2 years) reported improved performance in immediate (P=0·046) and delayed recall (P=0·013), whereas the fourth study (n856; duration=2 years) reported slower rate of cognitive decline in the MMSE (P=0·05). One study investigating DHA treatment (n402; duration=1·5 years) revealed the slower rate of cognitive change inapoE e4non-carriers (P=0·03). As only five included studies revealed notable benefits, presently based on the specific compounds explored here, there is not compelling evidence to support the use nutraceuticals to improve cognition in the elderly. Future long-term trials of nutraceuticals should investigate interactions with lifestyle, blood biomarkers and genetic risk factors.
COMPLICITY IN VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW BY INCUMBENT GOVERNMENTS THROUGH DIRECT MILITARY ASSISTANCE ON REQUEST
Authors: de Wet Erika
Published: January 2018

This article examines whether general international law supports the claim that direct military assistance by one State to another State upon the latter's request is prohibited where the inviting State is implicated in (gross) violations of international humanitarian and/or human rights law. It approaches the question from the perspective of State responsibility, analysing the threshold requirements of Article 16 of the Articles on State Responsibility (ASR),1 which represents the customary international law standard for responsibility for aiding or assisting wrongful conduct by another State. In so doing, the article illuminates how factual uncertainties complicate the triggering of the responsibility of the intervening (assisting) State for any violations of international humanitarian and/or human rights law by the territorial (recipient) State. Thereafter, the article questions whether, in the event that the responsibility of the intervening State is triggered, it would in consequence have to withdraw its troops and/or military air power from the territorial State.
Increased number of eosinophils in ascites is associated with intestinal anisakidosis
Authors: Okumura K. , Kubota T. , Lefor A.K. , Saito A. , Mizokami K.
Published: January 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between eosinophils in ascites and the diagnosis of intestinal anisakidosis in patients with peritoneal signs on physical examination. We reviewed retrospectively 16 patients diagnosed with intestinal anisakidosis, evaluated between 2012 and 2015. All patients had ingested raw anchovies. The analysis of ascites fluid in ten of these patients was compared with that of 15 patients with ascites and other abdominal pathology (except liver cirrhosis). All patients had an increased number of white blood cells in the ascites fluid. The eosinophil count was significantly higher in patients with intestinal anisakidosis (P < 0.01). All patients had a good outcome. Increased eosinophils in ascites fluid is strongly associated with the diagnosis of intestinal anisakidosis.
Polyps, grommets and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis
Authors: Kavanagh F G , Hasan W , Smyth D A , Fenton J E
Published: January 2018

Objective:

To explore the link between nasal polyposis, refractory otitis media with effusion and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Methods:

A retrospective observational study was carried out of patients diagnosed with refractory otitis media with effusion necessitating grommet insertion and who had nasal polyps. Patients were evaluated to determine if they fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Results:

Sixteen patients (10 males and 6 females) were identified. The mean age of grommet insertion was 45.4 years. The mean number of grommets inserted per patient was 1.6. The mean number of nasal polypectomies was 1.7. All 16 patients had paranasal sinus abnormalities and otitis media with effusion, 14 had asthma, 9 had serological eosinophilia and 7 had extravascular eosinophilia. Nine patients met the diagnostic criteria for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Conclusion:

The co-presence of nasal polyps and resistant otitis media with effusion should raise the possibility of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis.
Particle acceleration in relativistic magnetic flux-merging events
Authors: Lyutikov Maxim , Sironi Lorenzo , Komissarov Serguei S. , Porth Oliver
Published: January 2018

Using analytical and numerical methods (fluid and particle-in-cell simulations) we study a number of model problems involving merger of magnetic flux tubes in relativistic magnetically dominated plasma. Mergers of current-carrying flux tubes (exemplified by the two-dimensional ‘ABC’ structures) and zero-total-current magnetic flux tubes are considered. In all cases regimes of spontaneous and driven evolution are investigated. We identify two stages of particle acceleration during flux mergers: (i) fast explosive prompt X-point collapse and (ii) ensuing island merger. The fastest acceleration occurs during the initial catastrophic X-point collapse, with the reconnection electric field of the order of the magnetic field. During the X-point collapse, particles are accelerated by charge-starved electric fields, which can reach (and even exceed) values of the local magnetic field. The explosive stage of reconnection produces non-thermal power-law tails with slopes that depend on the average magnetization $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$. For plasma magnetization $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}\leqslant 10^{2}$ the spectrum power-law index is $p>2$; in this case the maximal energy depends linearly on the size of the reconnecting islands. For higher magnetization, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}\geqslant 10^{2}$, the spectra are hard, $p<2$, yet the maximal energy $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}_{\text{max}}$ can still exceed the average magnetic energy per particle, ${\sim}\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$, by orders of magnitude (if $p$ is not too close to unity). The X-point collapse stage is followed by magnetic island merger that dissipates a large fraction of the initial magnetic energy in a regime of forced magnetic reconnection, further accelerating the particles, but proceeds at a slower reconnection rate.
Genetically predicted complement component 4A expression: effects on memory function and middle temporal lobe activation
Authors: Donohoe G. , Holland J. , Mothersill D. , McCarthy-Jones S. , Cosgrove D. , Harold D. , Richards A. , Mantripragada K. , Owen M. J. , O'Donovan M. C. ,   WTCCC2, Gill M. , Corvin A. , Morris D. W.
Published: January 2018

Background

The longstanding association between the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus and schizophrenia (SZ) risk has recently been accounted for, partially, by structural variation at the complement component 4 (C4) gene. This structural variation generates varying levels of C4 RNA expression, and genetic information from the MHC region can now be used to predict C4 RNA expression in the brain. Increased predicted C4A RNA expression is associated with the risk of SZ, and C4 is reported to influence synaptic pruning in animal models.

Methods

Based on our previous studies associating MHC SZ risk variants with poorer memory performance, we tested whether increased predicted C4A RNA expression was associated with reduced memory function in a large (n = 1238) dataset of psychosis cases and healthy participants, and with altered task-dependent cortical activation in a subset of these samples.

Results

We observed that increased predicted C4A RNA expression predicted poorer performance on measures of memory recall (p = 0.016, corrected). Furthermore, in healthy participants, we found that increased predicted C4A RNA expression was associated with a pattern of reduced cortical activity in middle temporal cortex during a measure of visual processing (p < 0.05, corrected).

Conclusions

These data suggest that the effects of C4 on cognition were observable at both a cortical and behavioural level, and may represent one mechanism by which illness risk is mediated. As such, deficits in learning and memory may represent a therapeutic target for new molecular developments aimed at altering C4’s developmental role.
How do social security expenditures vary by state? The surprising impact of unemployment
Authors: Chaffin LaTasha Y. , Corder J. Kevin
Published: January 2018

We examine state-level variation in the flow of benefits under the largest Social Security programme – the Old-Age (OA) programme. OA pensions remain a robust and growing component of the American social safety net. Although OA pensions are entirely administered by the federal government, state-level demographic features can imply different aggregate levels of programme expenditures across states. We describe high levels of variation in the resources flowing into states from the OA programme and we find relationships between state features that might seem only remotely related to income support for the elderly: current unemployment rates, previous income levels, poverty rates and minority populations. We find a particularly strong link between current unemployment rates, OA coverage and OA average benefits. The number of recipients and the level of average OA payments increase when unemployment increases. This is a poorly understood but important feature of the OA programme.
What Do Clinical Supervisors Require to Teach Residents in Family Medicine How to Care for Seniors?
Authors: Giguere Anik M. C. , Lebel Paule , Morin Michèle , Proust Françoise , Rodríguez Charo , Carnovale Valerie , Champagne Louise , Légaré France , Carmichael Pierre-Hugues , Martineau Bernard , Karazivan Philippe , Durand Pierre J.
Published: January 2018

Nous avons évalué les besoins de formation des cliniciens qui supervisent les résidents dans les cliniques d’enseignement de médecine familiale au Québec. Nous avons utilisé une méthodologie mixte comprenant: un balayage environnemental des programmes de formation des Départements de médecine familiale, un consensus d’experts pour sélectionner des situations cliniques prioritaires pour les soins aux aînés, un questionnaire pour connaître la perception des superviseurs de leurs besoins de formation, et des entrevues pour comprendre les raisons des besoins. Partant du balayage, les experts ont identifié 13 situations cliniques prioritaires. Les 352 participants au sondage (taux de réponse : 36 %) ont rapporté des besoins plus importants pour gérer les symptômes comportementaux et psychologiques de la démence, la polymédication, la dépression, et les troubles cognitifs. Les entrevues ont révélé que ces situations cliniques étaient parfois complexes à diagnostiquer et à gérer en raison de leurs aspects psychosociaux, de la communication avec les patients et les familles, et de la coordination des équipes interprofessionnelles. Les superviseurs ont également rapporté des besoins plus important en milieu soins de longue durée et à domicile par rapport aux soins ambulatoires, dû à la complexité des soins aux aînés dans ces milieux et à la présence de proches aidants.
Molecular characterisation of measles virus strains among refugees from Central African Republic in Cameroon in 2014
Authors: Ndombo P. K. , Ndze V. N. , Mbarga F. D. , Anderson R. , Acho A. , Ebua Chia J. , Njamnshi A. K. , Rota P. A. , Waku-Kouomou D.
Published: January 2018

Measles is a highly infectious human viral disease caused by measles virus (MeV). An estimated 114 900 measles deaths occurred worldwide in 2014. There are currently eight clades (A–H) comprised 24 MeV genotypes. We sought to characterise MeVs among Central African Republic (CAR) refugees during the 2014 measles epidemic in Cameroon. Samples were collected from children <15 years with suspected measles infections in two refugee camps in the east region of Cameroon. Viral RNA was extracted directly from urine samples. RNA detection of MeV RNA was performed with real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a 634 bp nucleotide fragment of the N gene. The sequence of the PCR product was obtained to determine the genotype. MeV RNA was detected in 25 out of 30 samples from suspected cases, and among the 25 positive samples, MeV sequences were obtained from 20. The MeV strains characterised were all genotype B3. The MeV strains from genotype B3 found in this outbreak were more similar to those circulating in Northern Cameroon in 2010–2011 than to MeV strains circulating in the CAR in 2011. Surveillance system should be improved to focus on refugees for early detection of and response to outbreaks.
Utility of arterial stiffness assessment in children
Authors: Panchangam Chaitanya , Merrill Eric Dean , Raghuveer Geetha
Published: January 2018

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and the atherosclerotic process begins in childhood. Prevention or containment of risk factors that accelerate atherosclerosis can delay the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Although current recommendations are to periodically screen for commonly prevailing risk factors for atherosclerosis in children, a single test that could quantify the cumulative effect of all risk factors on the vasculature, thus assessing arterial health, would be helpful in further stratifying risk. Measurement of pulse wave velocity and assessment of augmentation index – measures of arterial stiffness – are easy-to-use, non-invasive methods of examining arterial health. Various studies have assessed pulse wave velocity and augmentation index in children with commonly occurring conditions including obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, physical inactivity, chronic kidney disease, CHD and acquired heart diseases, and in children who were born premature or small for gestational age. This article summarises pulse wave velocity and augmentation index assessments and the effects of commonly prevailing chronic conditions on arterial health in children. In addition, currently available reference values for pulse wave velocity and augmentation index in healthy children are included. Further research to establish widely applicable normative values and the effect of lifestyle and pharmacological interventions on arterial health in children is needed.