bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microvascular complications and prevalence of urgency incontinence in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: The dogo study
Authors: Furukawa Shinya , Sakai Takenori , Niiya Tetsuji , Miyaoka Hiroaki , Miyake Teruki , Yamamoto Shin , Maruyama Koutatsu , Ueda Teruhisa , Senba Hidenori , Todo Yasuhiko , Torisu Masamoto , Minami Hisaka , Onji Morikazu , Tanigawa Takeshi , Matsuura Bunzo , Hiasa Yoichi , Miyake Yoshihiro
Published: September 2015

Aims

Diabetes was significantly positively associated with urgency incontinence in several epidemiological studies. We examine the association between diabetic neuropathy, which we defined based on neuropathic symptoms, the absence of the Achilles reflex, and/or abnormal vibration perception, and urgency incontinence among Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods

Study subjects were 742 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged 19–70 years, who had undergone blood tests at our institutions. A self‐administered questionnaire was used to collect information on the variables under study. Urgency incontinence was defined as present when a subject answered “once a week or more” to the question: “Within one week, how often do you leak urine because you cannot defer the sudden desire to urinate ?”. Diabetic neuropathy was diagnosed if the patients showed two or more of the following three characteristics: neuropathic symptoms, the absence of the Achilles reflex, and/or abnormal vibration perception. Adjustment was made for sex, age, body mass index, duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus, current smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, glycated hemoglobin, stroke, coronary artery disease, insulin therapy, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic neuropathy.

Results

The prevalence of urgency incontinence was 8.6%. Diabetic neuropathy was independently positively associated with urgency incontinence: the adjusted OR was 2.20 (95%CI: 1.16–4.36). Associations between diabetic retinopathy or nephropathy and the prevalence of urgency incontinence were not significant.

Conclusions

In Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, only diabetic neuropathy was independently positively associated with urgency incontinence. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:1024–1027, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Use of preoperative factors including urodynamic evaluations and nerve‐sparing status for predicting urinary continence recovery after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy: Nerve‐sparing technique contributes to the reduction of postprostatectomy incontinence
Authors: Kadono Yoshifumi , Ueno Satoru , Kadomoto Suguru , Iwamoto Hiroaki , Takezawa Yuta , Nakashima Kazufumi , Nohara Takahiro , Izumi Kouji , Mizokami Atsushi , Gabata Toshifumi , Namiki Mikio
Published: September 2015

Aims

To examine which preoperative factors, including urodynamic evaluations, and operative procedures could predict continence status after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in this study.

Materials and Methods

Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses of preoperative factors such as age, body mass index, prostate‐specific antigen level before biopsy, prostate size before surgery, membranous urethral length measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bladder compliance and maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP) measured by urodynamic study (UDS), and nerve‐sparing (NS) status predicting 24‐hr pad test >2 g/day at 1 year after RARP were examined in 111 patients enrolled in this study.

Results

The number of patients with incontinence at 1 year after RARP was 39 (35.1%). The only predictive factor for urinary continence was NS grades. To investigate the contribution of NS to urinary continence, 84 patients underwent UDS three times; before, immediately after, and 1 year after RARP. Chronological UDS revealed that recovery patterns of storage and voiding functions were the same among non‐NS, unilateral‐NS, and bilateral‐NS groups, and that higher degrees of NS contributed to lesser decreases in MUCP and longer functional urethral length (FUL) after RARP.

Conclusion

Preoperative factors, including the results of UDS, could not predict continence 1 year after RARP. The NS procedure contributed to continence status. NS favorably affected MUCP and FUL; however, it did not affect bladder function after RARP. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:1034–1039, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dual loss of the SWI/SNF complex ATPases SMARCA4/BRG1 and SMARCA2/BRM is highly sensitive and specific for small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcaemic type
Authors: Karnezis Anthony N , Wang Yemin , Ramos Pilar , Hendricks William PD , Oliva Esther , D'Angelo Emanuela , Prat Jaime , Nucci Marisa R , Nielsen Torsten O , Chow Christine , Leung Samuel , Kommoss Friedrich , Kommoss Stefan , Silva Annacarolina , Ronnett Brigitte M , Rabban Joseph T , Bowtell David D , Weissman Bernard E , Trent Jeffrey M , Gilks C Blake , Huntsman David G
Published: September 2015

Small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcaemic type (SCCOHT) is a lethal and sometimes familial ovarian tumour of young women and children. We and others recently discovered that over 90% of SCCOHTs harbour inactivating mutations in the chromatin remodelling gene SMARCA4 with concomitant loss of its encoded protein SMARCA4 (BRG1), one of two mutually exclusive ATPases of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complex. To determine the specificity of SMARCA4 loss for SCCOHT, we examined the expression of SMARCA4 by immunohistochemistry in more than 3000 primary gynaecological tumours. Among ovarian tumours, it was only absent in clear cell carcinoma (15 of 360, 4%). In the uterus, it was absent in endometrial stromal sarcomas (4 of 52, 8%) and high‐grade endometrioid carcinomas (2 of 338, 1%). Recent studies have shown that SMARCA2 (BRM), the other mutually exclusive ATPase of the SWI/SNF complex, is necessary for survival of tumour cells lacking SMARCA4. Therefore, we examined SMARCA2 expression and discovered that all SMARCA4‐negative SCCOHTs also lacked SMARCA2 protein by IHC, including the SCCOHT cell lines BIN67 and SCCOHT1. Among ovarian tumours, the SMARCA4/SMARCA2 dual loss phenotype appears completely specific for SCCOHT. SMARCA2 loss was not due to mutation but rather from an absence of mRNA expression, which was restored by treatment with the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A. Re‐expression of SMARCA4 or SMARCA2 inhibited the growth of BIN67 and SCCOHT1 cell lines. Our results indicate that SMARCA4 loss, either alone or with SMARCA2, is highly sensitive and specific for SCCOHT and that restoration of either SWI/SNF ATPase can inhibit the growth of SCCOHT cell lines. © 2015 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
A novel alumina nanoparticle‐carbon micro‐nanofiber‐polypropylene nanocomposite with improved electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties
Authors: Khare Prateek , Verma Nishith
Published: September 2015

Alumina (AA) nanoparticles‐ (NPs) dispersed activated carbon microfibers/carbon nanofibers (ACFs/CNFs) were used as fillers in a ∼30 μm thick polymeric film of polypropylene (PP) crosslinked with maleic anhydride (MAH) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The PEG‐MAH‐PP film was prepared using the solution casting method, with MAH acting as a “bridging” group between PEG and PP. The AA‐ACF/CNF filler was dispersed in situ into the reaction mixture during polymerization and before the curing step. The metal oxide NPs‐carbon micro‐nanofiber‐polymer (AA‐ACF/CNF‐PP) nanocomposite exhibited significantly enhanced electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, which can be attributed to the thermally stable AA NPs, the electrically conductive CNFs, which have a high tensile strength, and the uniform dispersion of AA‐ACFs/CNFs in the crosslinked polymeric matrix of PP, MAH, and PEG. The production method described in this study is novel and simple, and the resulting nanocomposite may potentially be used as a battery separator and in structural materials. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:E359–E370, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Analytical Profiling of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds in Argan (Argania spinosa) Leaves by Combined Microextraction by Packed Sorbent (MEPS) and LC‐DAD‐MS/MS
Authors: Mercolini Laura , Protti Michele , Saracino Maria Addolorata , Mandrone Manuela , Antognoni Fabiana , Poli Ferruccio
Published: September 2015

Introduction

The argan tree (Argania spinosa) is an endemic species from south‐western Morocco. Argan‐based preparations have been widely used in Moroccan traditional medicine for their biological properties, as well as for several cosmetic purposes. Whereas kernel, pulp of fruit and trunk have been extensively studied for their nutritional and pharmacological effects, relatively little is known about argan tree leaves.

Objective

The main purpose of the present study is to investigate and characterise the bioactive phenolic fractions in both crude and aqueous extracts derived from argan tree leaves.

Methodology

A qualitative profile of the antioxidant phenolic compounds in argan leaves was obtained by means of structural hypothesis based on UV spectra and mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns. Moreover, selected phenolics were quantified in argan leaves by using a fully validated method based on liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐DAD‐MS/MS). All the extracts were purified by a fast and reliable microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) procedure, before analysing them by LC‐MS/MS.

Results

Based on retention times, mass spectrometric fragmentation and UV spectra, 13 phenolic compounds were identified or tentatively elucidated from crude and aqueous extracts derived from Argania spinosa leaves, while seven compounds were quantified in both extracts.

Conclusion

The obtained results could represent a first step towards a complete characterisation of the argan plant, its bioactive profiling and the valorisation of its by‐products as a source of potentially beneficial bioactive molecules. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diabetes Insulin Guidance System: a real‐world evaluation of new technology (d‐Nav) to achieve glycaemic control in insulin‐treated type 2 diabetes
Authors: Donnelly R , Carr S , Harper R
Published: September 2015

The aim was to conduct a service evaluation of the effectiveness of using d‐Nav (a handheld device that automates the process of insulin dosage titration using the Diabetes Insulin Guidance System [DIGS] software) in achieving glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The study comprised an exploratory single‐centre pilot evaluation of the use of d‐Nav in patients with type 2 diabetes aged ≥21 years with an HbA1c level ≥53 mmol/mol (≥7.0%) who were receiving insulin therapy for at least one year. Patients were asked to use d‐Nav to monitor their blood glucose level before every insulin injection and, when they suspected the occurrence of hypoglycaemia, to allow d‐Nav to adjust their insulin dosage. At scheduled three‐monthly clinic visits, HbA1c was measured and information on episodes of hypoglycaemia collected from d‐Nav and by patient reporting. Patients were followed for a minimum of six months.

A total of 94 patients completed the evaluation as active users. The mean (± standard deviation) HbA1c for active users decreased from 77 ± 15 mmol/mol (9.2 ± 1.4%) at baseline to 62 ± 13 mmol/mol (7.8 ± 1.2%) at the three‐ to five‐month clinic visit and to 59 ± 13 mmol/mol (7.5 ± 1.2%) at the six‐ to 12‐month clinic visit. In patients for whom paired data were available, the decreases were statistically significant at both post‐baseline visits (both p < 0.001). The frequency of minor hypoglycaemia (blood glucose ≤3.6 mmol/L) was low and well within the tolerated range.

In conclusion, d‐Nav is shown to be a safe and effective solution for blood glucose management in insulin users with type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons.
SGLT2 inhibitors and the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis
Authors: Redford Christopher , Doherty Laura , Smith Jamie
Published: September 2015

This case report highlights the potentially potent glucose lowering effect of adding an SGLT2 inhibitor to insulin therapy in patients with insulin‐treated diabetes. For our patient this had serious, unintended consequences. We describe a 58‐year‐old lady who had a presumed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes treated with metformin and a twice‐daily biphasic insulin regimen. She was commenced on dapagliflozin by her general practitioner and her blood glucose levels fell significantly over a period of several weeks leading, on occasions, to hypoglycaemia. Consequently, steady insulin dose reductions were made over this period leading eventually to the complete withdrawal of insulin treatment. Within 36 hours of the cessation of insulin treatment the patient was admitted to hospital as an emergency with severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), requiring management on an intensive care unit.

This case highlights that DKA can develop in patients with diabetes treated with insulin and SGLT2 inhibitors. Whether type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the SGLT2 inhibitor can reduce insulin requirements significantly. While the glucose may be falling even into normal ranges, the patient is likely becoming insulinopenic leading to muscle and fat metabolism and ketosis. The importance of this being a recognised consequence of SGLT2 inhibitor therapy was recently highlighted in a US Food and Drug Administration alert. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons.
In‐mold multivariate sensing of colored polystyrene
Authors: Gordon Guthrie , Kazmer David O. , Tang Xinyao , Fan Zhoayan , Gao Robert X.
Published: September 2015

The role of colorant in polymer processing was investigated with respect to pressure and infrared (IR) sensing. Polystyrene was combined with blue, black, and purple color additives using twin‐screw extrusion. Injection molding was then conducted using these three materials with a mold instrumented with a suite of commercial sensors as well as a custom multivariate sensor (MVS) capable of sensing melt temperature, mold temperature, melt pressure, melt velocity, and melt viscosity. Melt pressure and melt temperature are, respectively, obtained through the incorporation of a piezoceramic element and IR thermopile within the sensor head. Melt velocity was derived from the initial response of the melt temperature as the melt flows across the sensor's lens. The apparent melt viscosity was then derived based on the melt velocity and the time derivative of the increasing melt pressure given the cavity thickness. The accuracy of the temperature, pressure, velocity, and viscosity results were evaluated. Results indicated that the velocity estimates obtained with the commercial sensors and MVS had a coefficient of determination,R2, of about 0.99 regardless of colorant. The temperature measurements and viscosity estimates were similarly and correctly found to be invariant of the colorant blend. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2794–2800, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Poly(arylene sulfide sulfone) hybrid ultrafiltration membrane with TiO2‐g‐PAA nanoparticles: Preparation and antifouling performance
Authors: Yuan Shushan , Wang Juan , Wang Xiaojun , Long Shengru , Zhang Gang , Yang Jie
Published: September 2015

Poly(arylene sulfide sulfone) (PASS) is a kind of newly developed polymeric membrane material which has excellent mechanical strength, thermal stability, and solvent resistance. And, it would be a potential material for high temperature ultrafiltration and organic solvent filtration. In this article, PASS hybrid ultrafiltration membrane with improved antifouling property was prepared by mixing TiO2 nanoparticles which were grafted with polyacrylic acid (PAA). These membranes were prepared by a phase inversion technique and their separation performance and antifouling property of the prepared membranes were investigated in detail by SEM, FTIR, EDS, contact angle goniometry, filtration experiments of water, and BSA solution. The results shown that the TiO2‐g‐PAA nanoparticles dispersed well in membrane matrix, the hydrophilicity of the membranes prepared within TiO2‐g‐PAA nanoparticles have been improved and these membranes exhibited excellent water flux and antifouling performance in separation than that of the pure PASS membranes and PASS membranes with TiO2 nanoparticles. More specifically, among membrane sample M0, M1.5, and MP1.5, MP1.5 which contained 1.5 wt% TiO2‐g‐PAA exhibited the highest water permeation (190.4 L/m2 h at 100 kPa), flux recovery ratio, and the lowest BSA adsorption amount. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2829–2837, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
A composite model for an intermeshing counter‐rotating twin‐screw extruder and its experimental verification
Authors: Lewandowski Adrian , Wilczyński Krzysztof J. , Nastaj Andrzej , Wilczyński Krzysztof
Published: September 2015

A composite simulation model of solids conveying, melting and melt flow in a closely intermeshing counter‐rotating twin‐screw extruder has been developed. The model is based on combining new melt conveying models with melting and solids conveying models, and the die is included into considerations. A general approach is applied using fully three‐dimensional non‐Newtonian FEM modeling for melt conveying to develop screw pumping characteristics which are implemented into the composite model. Several screw configurations are considered including non‐classical elements. Computations are made for axial fill factor, pressure, temperature, and melting profiles. The results are validated experimentally. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2838–2848, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Investigation of the effect of diiodooctane on the morphology and performance of PTB7/PC71BM solar cells
Authors: Parlak E. A. , Sarıoğlan Ş.
Published: September 2015

Organic photovoltaics have been intensively investigated in recent years for generation of affordable, clean, and renewable energy due to their low‐cost fabrication of large‐area devices, lightweight, mechanical flexibility, and easy tunability of chemical properties of the polymer materials. Thieno[3,4‐b]thiophene and benzodithiophene solar cells were fabricated, characterized and the performance of the solar cells was studied and compared with each other in the different ratios of diiodooctane. Atomic force microscopy was used to study the morphological changes in solar cells. The current density and voltage characteristics of photovoltaic cells were measured under the illumination of simulated solar light. PTB7/PC71BM solar cell enhanced the power conversion efficiency to 2.86% with 0.5% diiodooctane from 1.55% without diiodooctane. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Design of a hybrid photovoltaic‐electrolyzer‐PEM fuel cell system for developing solar model
Authors: Devrim Yılser , Pehlivanoğlu Kübra
Published: September 2015

The world's fossil fuel energy reserves have rapidly decreased, while the energy demand has increased due to industrial growth, population growth, and technology advances, all of which affect the environment by the production of greenhouse gases. Alternative energy sources such as solar, hydrogen, etc. are attracting more attention as an alternative of fossil fuels. We present in this study hybrid photovoltaic (PV) panels/PEM electrolyzer/high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HTPEMFC) system used in off‐grid application. The purpose of a hybrid system is to produce as much energy from alternative energy sources to ensure the load demand. Solar energy is used as primary source and a fuel cell is used as backup power. The hybrid system is designed and analyzed according to the new solar radiation model. Firstly a new solar model is developed to determine solar radiation on horizontal surface. After that solar radiation on tilted surface is obtained by using solar radiation on horizontal surface model for PV panel calculations. The hybrid system is modelled and the obtained results presented and discussed. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Willemite photoluminescence in Zn‐implanted silica glasses
Authors: Zatsepin Anatoly , Buntov Evgeny , Kortov Vsevolod , Gavrilov Nikolai , Fitting Hans‐Joachim
Published: September 2015

The photoluminescence properties of α‐Zn2SiO4 nanoparticles formed in the SiO2 by means of ion implantation and subsequent 900 °C, 1 hour annealing in air atmosphere. Both X‐ray diffraction, optical and photoluminescence (PL) spectra confirm the formation of willemite phase Zn2SiO4 in SiO2 matrices. The characteristic 2.4 eV PL band observed resembles the properties of classical Zn2SiO4:Mn phosphor, though no manganese were introduced into the samples. PL excitation spectra demonstrate the contribution of willemite and silica band states, thus suggesting interphase energy transfer mechanism. Thermal quenching and lifetimes of the luminescence observed provide the clues to figure out the nature of emission centres. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electron transport through a metallic nanoparticle assembly embedded in SiO2 and SiNx by low energy ion implantation
Authors: Bayle M. , Grisolia J. , Ben Assayag G. , Pecassou B. , Bonafos C. , Benzo P. , Gourbilleau F. , Carles R.
Published: September 2015

Original substrates have been developed to offer a new approach to modulate and analyse simultaneously electro‐optical and transport properties through an assembly of metallic nanoparticles (NPs). Using low energy ion implantation, silver NPs have been synthesized at the vicinity of the free surface of a SiO2 or SiNx matrix. Varying the parameters of the process allows us to modify the density of NPs and their distance to the surface. While Ag NPs surface fraction in SiO2 cannot exceed 20%, it reaches 30% in SiNx. In the latter case, NPs with mean diameter is about 2.1 nm have an interdistance compatible with tunnel effect. We then developed devices that electrically address the embedded assembly of NPs for I‐V characterization. The transport measurements on these devices show that an exploitable conduction is possible within the Ag NPs assembly in SiNx. The Arrhenius‐type temperature dependence model was successfully applied demonstrating that electron transport follows a simple thermally activated behaviour with the occurrence of a strongly localized regime. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Integrating climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture and forestry: opportunities and trade‐offs
Authors: Locatelli Bruno , Pavageau Charlotte , Pramova Emilia , Di Gregorio Monica
Published: September 2015

Although many activities can jointly contribute to the climate change strategies of adaptation and mitigation, climate policies have generally treated these strategies separately. In recent years, there has been a growing interest shown by practitioners in agriculture, forestry, and landscape management in the links between the two strategies. This review explores the opportunities and trade‐offs when managing landscapes for both climate change mitigation and adaptation; different conceptualizations of the links between adaptation and mitigation are highlighted. Under a first conceptualization of ‘joint outcomes,’ several reviewed studies analyze how activities without climatic objectives deliver joint adaptation and mitigation outcomes. In a second conceptualization of ‘unintended side effects,’ the focus is on how activities aimed at only one climate objective—either adaptation or mitigation—can deliver outcomes for the other objective. A third conceptualization of ‘joint objectives’ highlights that associating both adaptation and mitigation objectives in a climate‐related activity can influence its outcomes because of multiple possible interactions. The review reveals a diversity of reasons for mainstreaming adaptation and mitigation separately or jointly in landscape management. The three broad conceptualizations of the links between adaptation and mitigation suggest different implications for climate policy mainstreaming and integration. WIREs Clim Change 2015, 6:585–598. doi: 10.1002/wcc.357

This article is categorized under:

Integrated Assessment of Climate Change > Methods of Integrated Assessment of Climate Change

The Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Benefits of Mitigation
Impact of Genetic Counseling in Women with a Family History of Breast Cancer in Italy
Authors: Godino Lea , Razzaboni Elisabetta , Bianconi Margherita , Turchetti Daniela
Published: September 2015

As the impact of breast cancer (BC) risk assessment in asymptomatic women with a family history of BC had never been explored in Italy, we performed a study on a retrospective series of women who had undergone BC risk assessment. To this aim, a semi‐structured telephone interview was administered to 82 women. Most participants considered the information received as clear (96.2 %) and helpful (76.8 %). Thirty‐eight (46.3 %) stated that their perceived risk of BC had changed after the counseling: for 40.2 % it had decreased, for 6.1 % increased; however, women highly overestimating their risk at the baseline (≥4‐fold) failed to show improvements in risk perception accuracy. Sixty‐six women (80.5 %) stated they had followed the recommended surveillance, while 19.5 % had not, mainly due to difficulties in arranging examinations. Most women (89.0 %) had shared the information with their relatives, with 57.3 % reporting other family members had undertaken the recommended surveillance. BC risk assessment was associated with high rates of satisfaction and had a favorable impact on risk perception in a subgroup of women. The impact on surveillance adhesion extended to relatives. Organized programs for identification and surveillance may help identify a larger fraction of at‐risk women and overcome the reported difficulties in arranging surveillance.
Brain and Liver Headspace Aldehyde Concentration Following Dietary Supplementation with n‐3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
Authors: Ross Brian M. , Babay Slim , Malik Imran
Published: September 2015

Reactive oxygen species react with unsaturated fatty acids to form a variety of metabolites including aldehydes. Many aldehydes are volatile enough to be detected in headspace gases of blood or cultured cells and in exhaled breath, in particular propanal and hexanal which are derived from omega‐3 and omega‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively. Aldehydes are therefore potential non‐invasive biomarkers of oxidative stress and of various diseases in which oxidative stress is thought to play a role including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It is unclear, however, how changes in the abundance of the fatty acid precursors, for example by altered dietary intake, affect aldehyde concentrations. We therefore fed male Wistar rats diets supplemented with either palm oil or a combination of palm oil plus an n‐3 fatty acid (alpha‐linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, or docosahexaenoic acids) for 4 weeks. Fatty acid analysis revealed large changes in the abundance of both n‐3 and n‐6 fatty acids in the liver with smaller changes observed in the brain. Despite the altered fatty acid abundance, headspace concentrations of C1–C8 aldehydes, and tissue concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, did not differ between the 4 dietary groups. Our data suggest that tissue aldehyde concentrations are independent of fatty acid abundance, and further support their use as volatile biomarkers of oxidative stress.
Developing students’ teaching through peer observation and feedback
Authors: Rees Eliot L. , Davies Benjamin , Eastwood Michael
Published: September 2015

With the increasing popularity and scale of peer teaching, it is imperative to develop methods that ensure the quality of teaching provided by undergraduate students. We used an established faculty development and quality assurance process in a novel context: peer observation of teaching for undergraduate peer tutors. We have developed a form to record observations and aid the facilitation of feedback. In addition, experienced peer tutors have been trained to observe peer-taught sessions and provide tutors with verbal and written feedback. We have found peer observation of teaching to be a feasible and acceptable process for improving quality of teaching provided by undergraduate medical students. However, feedback regarding the quality of peer observer’s feedback may help to develop students’ abilities further.
Wagering the future: Cognitive distortions, impulsivity, delay discounting, and time perspective in adolescent gambling
Authors: Cosenza Marina , Nigro Giovanna
Published: September 2015

This study investigated the relationship of cognitive distortions, self‐reported impulsivity, delay discounting, and time perspective to gambling severity in Italian adolescents. One thousand and thirty high school students were administered the South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents (SOGS‐RA), the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS‐11), the Monetary Choice Questionnaire (MCQ), and the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFC‐14). A factor analysis, used to evaluate common factors assessed by the different measures, revealed a three‐factor structure of Cognitive distortions, Impulsive present orientation, and Delay discounting. The results of regression analysis using factor scores showed that males scored higher than females on the SOGS‐RA and that gambling severity correlated positively with high scores on the three factors. These results indicate that cognitive distortions associated with gambling are a powerful predictor of gambling severity, and that adolescent gamblers are impaired in their abilities to think about the future.
IMPRUDENT JURISPRUDENCE? HUMAN RIGHTS AND MORAL CONTINGENCY
Authors: Biggar Nigel
Published: September 2015

Oliver O'Donovan is mistaken to think that subjective rights are irredeemably bound up with Hobbesian individualism, but correct to criticize their abstraction from deliberation about a wider range of moral considerations. As Grotius's thinking shows, the existence of a natural, moral right against physical harm depends on the contingent presence or absence of morally significant circumstances. There is, however, an important distinction between natural moral rights outside a particular, effective legal system and positive rights granted by such a system. Positive rights are less contingent and more stable, because society thinks it prudent to bear the social costs of that stability. Take, for example, the positive right against torture. This is not based simply on the intrinsic evil of what is done to the tortured. It is based partly on the intrinsic evil of the sadistic motive of the torturer. However, this motive obtains only in some cases, not others. Let us distinguish the latter as cases of “aggressive interrogation.” There might be instances of such interrogation that are conscientious and morally justified, all considerations of social cost and risk apart. There is, therefore, no natural moral right against it. Nonetheless, its general legal prohibition under a positive right against torture is justified by the prudential judgment that any possible momentary advantages to national security are outweighed by the high risk of social and institutional corruption and its political costs. That said, extraordinary circumstances might still justify—morally—the rare violation of the positive, legal right.
XANTHUS OF LYDIA AND THE INVENTION OF FEMALE EUNUCHS
Authors: Matthews Lydia
Published: September 2015

Two fragments of the Lydiaca attributed to Xanthus of Lydia (mid fifth century b.c.) preserve a curious claim that a king of Lydia (either the famous Gyges or the mythical Adramytes) was the first person to make eunuchs of women. In an attempt to make sense of these passages, it has been suggested that εὐνουχίζειν here refers not to castration, but rather to female genital cutting. If correct, this would provide our first evidence of this practice in Lydian culture or indeed anywhere in Anatolia. However, the assumption that what Xanthus describes somehow related to real practices is highly questionable. Instead, we should re-contextualize this story in terms of other fifth-century representations of luxury and eunuchs and in terms of Xanthus’ own exemplary portraits of other Lydian kings.
DEMOCRACY AND WAR IN ANCIENT ATHENS AND TODAY
Authors: Pritchard David M.
Published: September 2015

Ancient Athens developed democracy to a higher level than any other state before modern times. It was the leading cultural innovator of its age. This state is rightly revered for its political and cultural achievements. What is less well known is its extraordinary record of military success. Athens transformed ancient warfare and became one of the ancient world's superpowers. There is a strong case that democracy was a major reason for this success. The military impact of Athenian democracy was twofold. The competition of elite performers before non-elite adjudicators resulted in a pro-war culture, which encouraged Athenians in increasing numbers to join the armed forces and to vote for war. All this was offset by Athenian democracy's rigorous debating of war, which reduced the risks of Athenian cultural militarism. It also made military reforms easier and developed the initiative of the state's generals, hoplites, and sailors. Political scientists have long viewed Athenian democracy as a source of fresh ideas. At present they cannot satisfactorily explain the war-making of modern democracies. Consequently ancient history can provide political science with new lines of enquiry into how democracy affects international relations today.
‘TO HAVE DARING IS LIKE A BARRIER’: CICERO AND SALLUST ON CATILINE'S AUDACIA
Authors: Langerwerf Lydia
Published: September 2015

Known to us only through the spectrum of hostile sources, Lucius Sergius Catilina (108–62 bc) is an enigma. Nevertheless, one aspect of his personality seems clear. However much they differ in their evaluation of the patrician's failed coup d’état in 63 bc, our main authorities, Cicero and Sallust, both assert his tremendous daring. This article will demonstrate that their agreement on this issue is deceptive. Reviewing their use of the word audacia (‘daring’) as an attribution typical for rebel behaviour, I will explore how its use in combination with words for madness and despair provides it with different positive as well as negative connotations. Although, as we shall see in more detail below, many scholars have either ignored the term or discussed audacia as a standard, mono-dimensional piece of invective, it is a dynamic and multifaceted word representative of the chaos of the Late Republic.
THE END OF THE BEGINNING: VIRGIL'S AENEID IN OVID, AMORES 1.2
Authors: Goh Ian
Published: September 2015

It is well known that Ovid's Amores begin with a reference to Virgil's Aeneid in the very first word, arma (‘weapons’, Am. 1.1.1 = Verg. Aen. 1.1), which implies that the elegist had been composing epic before Cupid, by stealing a foot, apparently forced him to write elegy. In spite of this incapacitation at the hands of the love god, Ovid continues to toy with Virgil's epic by making the first two poems of his collection of elegiacs into a mini-Aeneid, or – to be precise – by making the second poem of the collection into the second half of the Aeneid. One result is that the three-book edition of Amores threatens to be over even before it has begun. Another is that Ovid can be identified with the Latin enemies, on the wrong side of history, from the Aeneid. I restrict the argument largely to what can be observed in Amores 1.2, leaving aside, for instance, the possibility that Ovid shot by Cupid's arrow in 1.1 might be thought comparable to Dido, similarly shot and causing Aeneas to dally in Carthage with her in Aeneid 4.
Roman History
Authors: Grig Lucy
Published: September 2015

Let's start at the very beginning: that is, at the beginning of the history of Rome. This latest volume of the Oxford Readings in Classical Studies makes a clear case for the virtue of reprinting old articles even in an age of supposedly wide digital availability. An obvious virtue here is the fact this collection includes no fewer than seven articles that have been translated into English for the first time. In making this collection, the editors hope to show the continuing lively debate on the nature of the ancient historiographical tradition. Rather than taking a particular editorial line, the collection includes scholars with differing views as to the reliability of this tradition when it comes to early Roman history. That being said, it is not surprising that scholarship that aims wholeheartedly to uphold the historicity of the traditional accounts is definitely outnumbered by studies demonstrating instead the construction of historiographical tradition(s). Nonetheless, Andrea Carandini begins the collection by arguing once more for the congruence of the archaeological evidence and the literary tradition. The articles that follow vary somewhat in approach and in degrees of scepticism – for instance, Fausto Zevi admits a historical core to stories about Demoratus and the Tarquins, whereas Michael Crawford is forthright in his rejection of historicity in the earliest list of Roman colonies. The editors have taken the helpful decision to focus rather more on ‘stories’ than individual authors and this certainly helps shape a thought-provoking collection that can be read with profit rather than just put on the shelf for future reference. In particular, the editors’ suggestion that this volume could profitably be given to students in place of a single ‘authoritative’ version of the history of early Rome, so that they can see that there are indeed different ways of ‘doing’ ancient history, is persuasive. Finally, any selection of papers is, of course, subjective but an article focusing rather more particularly on non-literary historical traditions might have rounded out the picture more fully.
Art and Archaeology
Authors: Spivey Nigel
Published: September 2015

Poiesis is the simple title of the first book under review, and its front cover carries a view of that well-known Attic red-figure kylix in Berlin, ‘the Foundry Cup’, showing bronze sculptors at work. But librarians may wonder where exactly to classify Peter Acton's monograph on craftsmanship in classical Athens. The author himself is categorically unusual: a Classics graduate who became vice-president of a major global management consultancy firm before undertaking his doctoral dissertation, he clearly enjoys the transfer of intellectual property from academia to the world of commerce, and vice versa. ‘The ancient economy’ is probably where this belongs, though its most substantial case study is focused upon pottery production. Some of Acton's opening declarations are made over-confidently: that ‘craftsmen were well-regarded’ (7) is debatable, given the various literary instances of patent disregard for those engaged in ‘banausic’ activity (both concept and reality of the banausos are conspicuously avoided throughout). And there is carelessness in the presentation of details: the potter Cachrylion becomes ‘Cachsilion’ (281), for example, and the account of bronze and stone sculpture (215–25) is somewhat muddled. Nonetheless, Acton does well to insist upon a city of creators, not consumers. A famous passage in Plutarch concerning the multiple trades involved in building the Parthenon (Vit. Per. 12) implies as much, but our stereotypical image of Athens tends to exclude all workshop smoke and grime.
Reception
Authors: Harloe Katherine Cecilia , Paul Joanna
Published: September 2015

The first title in this issue's batch of classical reception publications sees Lucy Pollard take us on an engaging and colourful tour of early modern travellers' experiences in Greece and the Levant. This area of scholarship is well trodden, and many readers will be familiar with David Constantine's Early Greek Travellers and the Hellenic Ideal (1984); but Pollard brings new material to bear by her extensive use of the unpublished diaries of John Covel, the Cambridge scholar and minister who served as chaplain to the Levant Company in Constantinople in the 1670s. These are supplemented with accounts of other seventeenth-century travellers such as George Wheler and Paul Rycaut. Successive chapters cover the logistics of travel, scholarly and archaeological approaches, and perceptions of Greeks and Turks. Pollard tends to let her sources speak for themselves; her arguments about the emergence of a ‘proto-archaeological’ approach to antiquities in the last third of the century, about the importance of perceived religious affinities between Anglican travellers and Orthodox Greeks, and about admiration of the Ottomans as a model for empire are interesting, but made with a light touch. Above all, this provides us with a richly detailed survey of the experiences, challenges, and preoccupations of early modern Englishmen travelling east.
Application of metagenomics to assess microbial communities in water and other environmental matrices
Authors: Staley Christopher , Sadowsky Michael J.
Published: September 2015

The emergence of metagenomics-based approaches in biology has overcome historical culture-based biases in microbiological studies. This has also enabled a more comprehensive assessment of the microbial ecology of environmental samples. The subsequent development of next-generation sequencing technologies, able to produce hundreds of millions of sequences at improved cost and speed, necessitated a computational shift from user-supervised alignment and analysis pipelines, that were used previously for vector-based metagenomic studies that relied on Sanger sequencing. Current computational advances have expanded the scope of microbial biogeography studies and offered novel insights into microbial responses to environmental variation and anthropogenic inputs into ecosystems. However, new biostatistical and computational approaches are required to handle the large volume and complexity of these new multivariate datasets. While this has allowed more complete characterization of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional microbial diversity, these tools are still limited by methodological biases, incomplete databases, and the high cost of fully characterizing environmental biodiversity. This review addresses the evolution of methods to monitor surface waters and characterize environmental samples through the recent computational advances in metagenomics, with an emphasis on the study of surface waters. These new methods have provided an abundance of opportunities to expand our understanding of the interaction between microbial communities and public health. Specifically, they have allowed for comprehensive monitoring of bacterial communities in surface waters for changes in community structure associated with faecal contamination and the presence of human pathogens, rather than relying on only a few indicator bacteria to direct public health concerns.
Household livelihoods and conflict with wildlife in community-based conservation areas across northern Tanzania
Authors: Salerno Jonathan , Borgerhoff Mulder Monique , Grote Mark N. , Ghiselli Margherita , Packer Craig
Published: September 2015

Conservation strategies to protect biodiversity and support household livelihoods face numerous challenges. Across the tropics, efforts focus on balancing trade-offs in local communities near the borders of protected areas. Devolving rights and control over certain resources to communities is increasingly considered necessary, but decades of attempts have yielded limited success and few lessons on how such interventions could be successful in improving livelihoods. We investigated a key feature of household well-being, the experience of food insecurity, in villages across Tanzania's northern wildlife tourist circuit. Using a sample of 2,499 primarily livestock-keeping households we compared food insecurity in villages participating in the country's principal community-based conservation strategy with nearby control areas. We tested whether community-based projects could offset the central costs experienced by households near strictly protected areas (i.e. frequent human–wildlife conflict and restricted access to resources). We found substantial heterogeneity in outcomes associated with the presence of community-based conservation projects across multiple project sites. Although households in project villages experienced more frequent conflict with wildlife and received few provisioned benefits, there is evidence that these households may have been buffered to some degree against negative effects of wildlife conflict. We interpret our results in light of qualitative institutional factors that may explain various project outcomes. Tanzania, like many areas of conservation importance, contains threatened biodiversity alongside areas of extreme poverty. Our analyses highlight the need to examine more precisely the complex and locally specific mechanisms by which interventions do or do not benefit wildlife and local communities.
Illegal bird hunting in the Maltese Islands: an international perspective
Authors: Raine André F. , Gauci Mark , Barbara Nicholas
Published: September 2015

Illegal hunting is a widespread problem in the Maltese Islands. As well as having a significant impact on the islands' breeding birds, the illegal hunting of migratory birds has a wider, international dimension. To investigate the international impact of illegal hunting in Malta we considered the entire ring recovery database of the Valletta Bird Ringing Scheme, from the 1920s to the present. All records of birds that were ringed overseas and shot by hunters in Malta were analysed, comprising a total of 435 records of 84 species from 36 countries. The majority of these ring recoveries (91.7%) were from species listed as protected and non-huntable throughout the European Union, with a significant proportion listed as European Species of Conservation Concern. Birds of prey were particularly represented in the database, 78.6% of which were ringed as nestlings or juveniles, highlighting the impact of illegal hunting on this group of species in particular. Species targeted illegally by Maltese hunters originate from countries throughout Europe and Africa, particularly Finland, Sweden, Tunisia, Italy and Germany. For rare species or those with small breeding populations in affected countries, illegal hunting could therefore have a significant impact on the long-term persistence of European populations. Poaching of species such as the pallid harrierCircus macrourusand saker falconFalco cherrugcould have a global impact on their populations.