bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metal soaps under the view point of sustainability—One vision
Authors: Aksın Artok Özge , Schiller Michael , Everard Mark
Published: June 2015

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) products accompany us throughout our lives, from toys to potable water pipes. In many instances, this is enabled by the capacity of PVC to deliver benefits over a very long lifetime with barely diminished functional efficiency and operational reliability. However, people today are often misled by marketing claims such as products being “green,” “bio‐based,” or “environmentally friendly.” This willful or unintended misleading of public opinion is enabled by an often vague or imprecise understanding of what is meant by the term “sustainable.” The European PVC industry has recently published a renewed commitment to sustainability under the VinylPlus program . It is to progress and promote this ongoing commitment to sustainable development‐‐‐measures to make practical progress toward the goal of sustainability, which we decided to publish in this paper, in which we have sought to evaluate data relevant to sustainability challenges within the PVC industry and the societal lifecycle of the plastic. We have done this by applying a science‐based sustainability framework to evaluate a category of PVC additives that can make a significant contribution toward fully sustainable products. Metal soaps such as stearates, oleates, 12‐hydroxy stearates, laurates, octoates, and benzoates of lead, barium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, zinc, and cadmium were and are partially still playing an important role in PVC applications. Owing largely to the ubiquity of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and aluminum in the natural environment, salts of these metals formed with organic acids already have a higher potential to become fully sustainable. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 23:125–134, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Analysis of additive and epistatic quantitative trait loci underlying fatty acid concentrations in soybean seeds across multiple environments
Authors: Fan Shengxu , Li Bin , Yu Fukuan , Han Fenxia , Yan Shurong , Wang Lianzheng , Sun Junming
Published: June 2015

Soybean is one of the most important oilseed crops in the world. The soybean oil contains various fatty acids. Their concentrations determine the quality and nutritional value of soybean oil. On the other hand, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping for the concentrations of soybean predominant fatty acids could provide the genetic basis for soybean fatty acid composition. In this study, a soybean genetic linkage map was constructed based on 161 polymorphic SSR markers in recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross of cv. Luheidou2 × Nanhuizao. By using this map, 35 additive QTLs underlying individual fatty acid concentrations were identified in single environment, while 17 additive QTLs were identified underlying specific fatty acids across multiple environments or underlying multiple fatty acids. Fifteen of the 52 loci were found to be novel loci, explaining 5–24 % of phenotypic variation. Moreover, 25 epistatic QTLs were identified and explained a high phenotypic variation for the fatty acid concentrations, suggesting an essential role of epistatic effect for fatty acid concentrations. The identification of additive and epistatic QTLs suggested a complex network for soybean fatty acid concentrations, and will facilitate the understanding for fatty acid accumulation.
Response to S1 recurrent selection for resistance to two stem borers, Busseola fusca and Chilo
partellus, in two tropical maize populations
Authors: Mwimali Murenga , Derera John , Mugo S. , Tongoona P.
Published: June 2015

Stem borers, Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus, are among the key devastating lepidopteran insect pests of maize causing grain yield losses. Recurrent selection studies for stem borer resistance in maize are limited. However, maize populations carrying resistance genes to these stem borers have not been exploited fully in breeding programmes. The objective of the study was to separately improve resistance to B.fusca and C.partellus stem borers for two maize populations CML395/MBR C5 Bc and CML444/MBR/MDR C3Bc and therefore grain yield after two cycles of S1 progeny recurrent selection. Cycle 0 and the advanced generations (cycle 1-susceptible, cycle 1-resistant and cycle 2-resistant) were evaluated at three locations in Kenya using a 35 × 12 α-lattice design with 2 replications. The net reductions in cumulative tunneling, number of exit holes and leaf feeding damage scores ranged from 0 to 69 % for both populations after two cycles of selection. In the two populations, each cycle of selection for borer resistance improved grain yield by 0.5–0.8 t ha−1. Actual net gains in grain yield with reference to cycle 0 were 43 % for population CML395/MBRC5 Bc under B. fusca infestation and 70 % under C. partellus infestation. For population CML444/MBR/MDR C3Bc, the actual net gains in grain yield were 25 % under B. fusca infestation and 36 % under C. partellus infestation. The reductions in the injurious effects attributable to leaf feeding damage, cumulative stem tunneling and number of exit holes contributed towards the 43 and 70 % net genetic gain in grain yield under B. fusca and C. partellus infestation respectively, for both populations. Broad sense heritability (H2) for grain yield ranged from 2 to 98 % in both maize populations. The study showed that two cycles of S1 progeny recurrent selection was effective in accumulating favourable alleles for B. fusca and C. partellus stem borer resistance.
Oxidative Stability of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Paste and Spreads
Authors: Shakerardekani Ahmad , Karim Roselina , Ghazali Hasanah M. , Chin Nyuk L.
Published: June 2015

In this study, pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) spread was prepared using pistachio paste, icing sugar, and red palm oil. Pistachio paste, pistachio spread without emulsifier, and pistachio spread with 1.5 % monoglycerides (Dimodan HP‐M, Danisco, Malaysia) were investigated to determine their oxidative stability by subjecting them to accelerated autoxidation conditions (60 °C). Pistachio paste and pistachio spread exhibit a great susceptibility to lipid oxidation due to their high‐fat content. However, it was found that the high oleic and palmitic contents of the oil increase its stability. In all the pistachio products examined, Totox values were higher than 10 (the maximum permitted level) after 25 days of storage. In none of the products was (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal detected on day 0. After 25 days of storage, however, the peak area percentages rose to 0.13, 0.19, and 0.18 in pistachio paste, pistachio spread without emulsifier, and pistachio spread with emulsifier, respectively. Based on color investigations, the a value (i.e., less greenish) was increased in all the pistachio samples at the end of the storage period. Based on the results obtained from sensory evaluations as well as GC–MS, free fatty acid (FFA), and color measurements, it may be concluded that the shelf life of pistachio products is 20 days at 60 °C.
Contribution of personal and environmental factors on positive psychological functioning in adolescents
Authors: Fadda Daniela , Scalas L. Francesca , Meleddu Mauro
Published: June 2015

This study examined self‐esteem as mediator in the relations of personal (extraversion, neuroticism) and environmental (maternal, paternal, peer‐relationships) variables with domains of positive psychological functioning (PPF) in adolescence (Satisfaction with life, Mastery, Vigor, Social Interest, Social Cheerfulness).

We compared one‐sided and multidimensional models using a sample of 1193 high school students (592 males and 601 females). We examined variations in adolescent PPF as a function of parenting styles via independent examination of maternal and paternal bonding. Results supported the multidimensional models, which indicated direct effects of personality traits, maternal care and peer relationships, as well as indirect effects, mediated by self‐esteem, of all predictors on most PPF dimensions.

Overall, our study provided a broader picture of personal and environmental predictors on different dimensions of PPF, which supported the mediating role of self‐esteem and emphasized the importance of considering multidimensional models to characterize PPF in adolescents.
TDP‐35 sequesters TDP‐43 into cytoplasmic inclusions through binding with RNA
Authors: Che Mei-Xia , Jiang Lei-Lei , Li Hai-Yin , Jiang Ya-Jun , Hu Hong-Yu
Published: June 2015

TDP‐43 (TAR DNA binding protein of 43kDa) and its C‐terminal fragments are thought to be linked to the pathologies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Here, we demonstrate that the aggregates or inclusions formed by its 35‐kDa fragment (namely TDP‐35) sequester full‐length TDP‐43 into cytoplasmic inclusions; and this sequestration is mediated by binding with RNA that is enriched in the cytoplasmic inclusions. RNA recognition motif 1 (RRM1) of TDP‐43/TDP‐35 plays a dominant role in nucleic‐acid binding; mutation in this moiety abrogates formation of the TDP‐35 inclusions and its RNA‐assisted association with TDP‐43. Thus, TDP‐35 is able to sequester TDP‐43 from nuclear localization into cytoplasmic inclusions, and RNA binding plays an essential role in this process.
Functional characterization of Val60, a key residue involved in the membrane‐oligomerization of fragaceatoxin C, an actinoporin from Actinia fragacea
Authors: Morante Koldo , Caaveiro Jose M.M. , Viguera Ana Rosa , Tsumoto Kouhei , González-Mañas Juan Manuel
Published: June 2015

To gain insight into the mechanism of toxin oligomerization, different point mutations have been introduced at this position. Functional characterization of the muteins suggests that Val60 represents a hot‐spot where the introduction of mutations hinders protein assembly and reduces the overall affinity for membranes.
Snatching Hope from the Jaws of Epistemic Defeat
Authors: PASNAU ROBERT
Published: June 2015

Reflection on the history of skepticism shows that philosophers have often conjoined as a single doctrine various theses that are best kept apart. Some of these theses are incredible—literally almost impossible to accept—whereas others seem quite plausible and even verge on the platitudinous. Mixing them together, one arrives at a view—skepticism—that is as a whole indefensible. My aim is to pull these different elements apart and focus on one particular strand of skepticism that deserves sustained and respectful attention, which I will refer to as epistemic defeatism. Roughly, in its most global form, this is the view that, in the final analysis, we have no good evidence for the truth of any proposition. I do not attempt to argue for the truth of epistemic defeatism, but only to untangle it from neighboring views and in particular to establish its independence from questions about knowledge. Having thus established the view's autonomy, I turn to considering the options for self-consciously accepting defeat. One may despair or one may have faith. But I will ultimately propose that the most attractive option—the option that preserves the most of our epistemic integrity—is to have hope.
The Real Challenge to Photography (as Communicative Representational Art)
Authors: HOPKINS ROBERT
Published: June 2015

I argue that authentic photography is not able to develop to the full as a communicative representational art. Photography is authentic when it is true to its self-image as the imprinting of images. For an image to be imprinted is for its content to be linked to the scene in which it originates by a chain of sufficient, mind-independent causes. Communicative representational art (in any medium: photography, painting, literature, music, etc.) is art that exploits the resources of representation to achieve artistically interesting communication of thought. The central resources of representation are content, vehicle properties, and the interplay between these two. Whereas painting and other representational arts are able to exploit all three to communicate thought, authentic photography can exploit interplay only to a very limited degree. However, the exploitation of interplay is the culmination of communicative representational art: the natural endpoint in its development.
Truth and Truthmakers in Early Modern Scholasticism
Authors: EMBRY BRIAN
Published: June 2015

Seventeenth-century Iberian and Italian Scholastics had a concept of a truthmaker (verificativum) similar to that found in contemporary metaphysical debates. I argue that the seventeenth-century notion of a truthmaker can be illuminated by a prevalent seventeenth-century theory of truth according to which the truth of a proposition is the mereological sum of that proposition and its intentional object. I explain this theory of truth and then spell out the account of truthmaking it entails.
PATHS AND INDICES OF MAXIMAL TAIL DEPENDENCE
Authors: Furman Edward , Su Jianxi , Zitikis Ričardas
Published: June 2015

We demonstrate both analytically and numerically that the existing methods for measuring tail dependence in copulas may sometimes underestimate the extent of extreme co-movements of dependent risks and, therefore, may not always comply with the new paradigm of prudent risk management. This phenomenon holds in the context of both symmetric and asymmetric copulas with and without singularities. As a remedy, we introduce a notion of paths of maximal (tail) dependence and utilize the notion to propose several new indices of tail dependence. The suggested new indices are conservative, conform with the basic concepts of modern quantitative risk management, and are capable of differentiating between distinct risky positions in situations when the existing indices fail to do so.
MODELING DEPENDENCE BETWEEN LOSS TRIANGLES WITH HIERARCHICAL ARCHIMEDEAN COPULAS
Authors: Abdallah Anas , Boucher Jean-Philippe , Cossette Hélène
Published: June 2015

One of the most critical problems in property/casualty insurance is to determine an appropriate reserve for incurred but unpaid losses. These provisions generally comprise most of the liabilities of a non-life insurance company. The global provisions are often determined under an assumption of independence between the lines of business. Recently, Shi and Frees (2011) proposed to put dependence between lines of business with a copula that captures dependence between two cells of two different runoff triangles. In this paper, we propose to generalize this model in two steps. First, by using an idea proposed by Barnett and Zehnwirth (1998), we will suppose a dependence between all the observations that belong to the same calendar year (CY) for each line of business. Thereafter, we will then suppose another dependence structure that links the CYs of different lines of business. This model is done by using hierarchical Archimedean copulas. We show that the model provides more flexibility than existing models, and offers a better, more realistic and more intuitive interpretation of the dependence between the lines of business. For illustration, the model is applied to a dataset from a major US property-casualty insurer, where a bootstrap method is proposed to estimate the distribution of the reserve.
Impact of Family Medicine Resident Physicians on Emergency Department Wait Times and Patients Leaving Without Being Seen
Authors: Xi Wang , Dalal Vikram
Published: June 2015

Objective

To quantify the effect of family medicine resident physicians on emergency department (ED) wait times and patients leaving without being seen or treated.

Methods

In a medium-volume community ED over twelve months, we used retrospective chart review to compare wait times between patients seen during shifts where staff were working alone versus with a resident. We measured the time from initial triage time to physician initial assessment (T1) and disposition time (LOS), and number of patients leaving without being seen or treated.

Results

In our analysis, 21,141 patients (91% of total visits) were included; 48% were in the staff-with-resident group, and 52% were in the staff-only group. Mean T1 in the resident group was significantly shorter than the staff-only group (1 hour 23 minutes versus 1 hour 38 minutes, difference 15 minutes, 95% CI 13 to 17 minutes, p<0.001). Mean total LOS in the resident group was also reduced (2 hours 38 minutes versus 2 hours 50 minutes, difference 12 minutes, 95% CI 8 to 17 minutes, p<0.001). Fewer patients left without being seen in the resident group than the staff only group (2.8% versus 4.9%, p<0.001). There were no differences in patients leaving without being treated (0.5% versus 0.5%).

Conclusions

This is the first study to demonstrate that residents are associated with a reduction in ED wait times and patients leaving without being seen in a low-acuity, community hospital, compared to previous studies demonstrating no difference or increased wait times.
Establishing the feasibility of assessing the mental health of children displaced by the Syrian conflict
Authors: Cartwright K. , El-Khani A. , Subryan A. , Calam R.
Published: June 2015

Background.

In the humanitarian crisis context of conflict zones, collecting data is essential for identifying and addressing the mental health needs of refugee children to avoid mass suffering. This study tested the feasibility of recruiting refugees caring for children and using established and brief parent-report questionnaires in a challenging context to collect mental health data on refugee children displaced by Syria's conflict.

Methods.

Caregivers of 4–10-year olds attending primary schools run by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Generation Freedom in and near refugee camps on the Syrian–Turkish border were invited to complete the Pediatric Emotional Distress Scale (PEDS) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

Results.

It was possible to reach 144 adult refugees caring for children with research participation information and use informed consent procedures. A total of 106 caregivers completed the questionnaires yielding a good return rate (74%). Eighty-two (77.4%) caregivers had complete data on the PEDS and 61 (57.5%) on the SDQ. Almost half (49%) of the children met the clinical cut-off for being anxious/withdrawn and 62% for being fearful rated using the PEDS and 45% for SDQ rated emotional symptoms. More than a third had clinical levels of behavioural problems on both scales.

Conclusions.

It proved feasible to collect child mental health data in challenging conditions in the context of the Syrian crisis with support from a local NGO providing humanitarian assistance. The PEDS performed better than the SDQ in this context. High levels of emotional distress and behavioural problems in children reiterate the urgent need for evidence-based psychosocial support.
Reconciling Representation and Accountability: Three Visions of Democracy Compared
Authors: Ganghof Steffen
Published: June 2015

An egalitarian approach to the fair representation of voters specifies three main institutional requirements: proportional representation, legislative majority rule and a parliamentary system of government. This approach faces two challenges: the under-determination of the resulting democratic process and the idea of a trade-off between equal voter representation and government accountability. Linking conceptual with comparative analysis, the article argues that we can distinguish three ideal-typical varieties of the egalitarian vision of democracy, based on the stages at which majorities are formed. These varieties do not put different relative normative weight onto equality and accountability, but have different conceptions of both values and their reconciliation. The view that accountability is necessarily linked to ‘clarity of responsibility’, widespread in the comparative literature, is questioned – as is the idea of a general trade-off between representation and accountability. Depending on the vision of democracy, the two values need not be in conflict.
Self-sustained hydrodynamic oscillations in lifted jet diffusion flames: origin and control
Authors: Qadri Ubaid Ali , Chandler Gary J. , Juniper Matthew P.
Published: June 2015

We use direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the Navier–Stokes equations in the low-Mach-number limit to investigate the hydrodynamic instability of a lifted jet diffusion flame. We obtain steady solutions for flames using a finite rate reaction chemistry, and perform a linear global stability analysis around these steady flames. We calculate the direct and adjoint global modes and use these to identify the regions of the flow that are responsible for causing oscillations in lifted jet diffusion flames, and to identify how passive control strategies might be used to control these oscillations. We also apply a local stability analysis to identify the instability mechanisms that are active. We find that two axisymmetric modes are responsible for the oscillations. The first is a high-frequency mode with wavemaker in the jet shear layer in the premixing zone. The second is a low-frequency mode with wavemaker in the outer part of the shear layer in the flame. We find that both of these modes are most sensitive to feedback involving perturbations to the density and axial momentum. Using the local stability analysis, we find that the high-frequency mode is caused by a resonant mode in the premixing region, and that the low-frequency mode is caused by a region of local absolute instability in the flame, not by the interaction between resonant modes, as proposed in Nichols et al. (Phys. Fluids, vol. 21, 2009, article 015110). Our linear analysis shows that passive control of the low-frequency mode may be feasible because regions up to three diameters away from the fuel jet are moderately sensitive to steady control forces.
A Knockout Experiment: Disciplinary Divides and Experimental Skill in Animal Behaviour Genetics
Authors: Nelson Nicole C.
Published: June 2015

In the early 1990s, a set of new techniques for manipulating mouse DNA allowed researchers to ‘knock out’ specific genes and observe the effects of removing them on a live mouse. In animal behaviour genetics, questions about how to deploy these techniques to study the molecular basis of behaviour became quite controversial, with a number of key methodological issues dissecting the interdisciplinary research field along disciplinary lines. This paper examines debates that took place during the 1990s between a predominately North American group of molecular biologists and animal behaviourists around how to design, conduct, and interpret behavioural knockout experiments. Drawing from and extending Harry Collins’s work on how research communities negotiate what counts as a ‘well-done experiment,’ I argue that the positions practitioners took on questions of experimental skill reflected not only the experimental traditions they were trained in but also their differing ontological and epistemological commitments. Different assumptions about the nature of gene action, eg., were tied to different positions in the knockout mouse debates on how to implement experimental controls. I conclude by showing that examining representations of skill in the context of a community’s knowledge commitments sheds light on some of the contradictory ways in which contemporary animal behaviour geneticists talk about their own laboratory work as a highly skilled endeavour that also could be mechanised, as easy to perform and yet difficult to perform well.
Alliances and the High Politics of International Trade
Authors: Wolford Scott , Kim Moonhawk
Published: June 2015

What is the role of trade policy in military alliances? We analyze and test a game-theoretic model of economic and security cooperation in which allies hold different interests across the security and commercial aspects of the relationship. In equilibrium, allies with little market power who are valuable politically to larger states engage in sociallysuboptimal protectionism, as their allies’ threats of retaliation are incredible. Stable cooperation emerges in the form of unretaliated protection rather than mutually low trade barriers. We test the model’s implications against a dyadic data set of antidumping petitions from 1980 to 2013 and find that larger allies are more likely to tolerate protectionism by smaller allies by denying domestic petitions to retaliate against dumping measures by the latter.
Rumors and Health Care Reform: Experiments in Political Misinformation
Authors: Berinsky Adam J.
Published: June 2015

This article explores belief in political rumors surrounding the health care reforms enacted by Congress in 2010. Refuting rumors with statements from unlikely sources can, under certain circumstances, increase the willingness of citizens to reject rumors regardless of their own political predilections. Such source credibility effects, while well known in the political persuasion literature, have not been applied to the study of rumor. Though source credibility appears to be an effective tool for debunking political rumors, risks remain. Drawing upon research from psychology on ‘fluency’ – the ease of information recall – this article argues that rumors acquire power through familiarity. Attempting to quash rumors through direct refutation may facilitate their diffusion by increasing fluency. The empirical results find that merely repeating a rumor increases its power.
EUNAVFOR OPERATION ATALANTA OFF SOMALIA: THE EU IN UNCHARTERED LEGAL WATERS?
Authors: Papastavridis Efthymios
Published: June 2015

EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta has been the first maritime operation of the European Union and it has certainly been successful given the significant decrease of pirate attacks off the Somali coast. However, various issues have been raised concerning its legal basis under international law and its legal framework, including questions of responsibility. These issues are particularly interesting since the EU has a more integrated legal order than other organizations involved in such operations (eg UN, NATO). The present article attempts to address these issues against the background of international and European law. Even though the legal basis of the Operation is clear from a European law perspective, there have been certain misconceptions concerning the legal basis of the Operation under international law. The delineation of the Operation's legal framework requires a careful analysis of the rules applicable to each of its phases and of its addressees, since each phase is subject to different rules which are binding on different actors. Finally, there is an extensive discussion of questions of responsibility, which were heavily influenced by the applicable Rules of Engagement and of the actual conduct of the Operation. The conclusion is that, at least on the high seas, responsibility should primarily rest with the flag States rather than with the EU. However, in most cases the EU is indirectly responsible for violations of international law, except in cases where suspected pirates are transferred to third States pursuant to EU agreements with such States, in which case it bears primarily responsibility.
Media, Citizenship, and Religious Mobilization: The Muharram Awareness Campaign in Mumbai
Authors: Eisenlohr Patrick
Published: June 2015

The great urban diversity of Mumbai has given rise to a range of religious mobilizations that are not only shaped by a history of communalism along religious lines but also driven by intra-religious rivalry and competition in their urban environment. Against the backdrop of a global megacity, contemporary Shi‘ite religious activism in Mumbai provides evidence of the importance of global processes of religious mobilization, while also showing its entanglement with state regulation of religion. An advertising campaign by a Shi‘ite media center illustrates that such religious activism with global ramifications can only be understood if one also takes its intersection with state-sponsored regimes of religious diversity into account. Media practices of Indian Muslims as a vulnerable minority are especially responsive to normative discourses and images of religious diversity, and mobilize alternative strands of Indian secularism in order to counteract the fragility of their citizenship.
Comparative study of the paracasein fraction of two ewe's milk cheese varieties
Authors: Panteli Maria , Zoidou Evangelia , Moatsou Golfo
Published: June 2015

The aim of the present work was to assess the characteristics of the paracasein of two ewe's milk cheese varieties using various concentrations of urea and EDTA to solubilise caseins and calcium. The solubilised paracasein elements were evaluated by means of RP-HPLC and AAS. For this purpose cheeses with different physical and biochemical characteristics, i.e. Feta (53·1% moisture and pH 4·32) and Graviera Kritis (33·2% moisture and pH 5·54) were analysed. Soluble calcium of Feta was 71% of total calcium much higher than the 25% in Graviera. Treatment with 4murea fully solubilised Feta paracasein, whereas 6murea was needed to solubilise caseins from Graviera. Caseins were released from both cheeses by 100 mmEDTA. Solubilisation of paracasein induced by urea or EDTA was not significantly affected (P< 0·05) by the type of cheese. Similarly to urea, EDTA induced significantly (P< 0·05) lower solubilisation of αs1-casein in Graviera than in Feta, based on αs1-cn/β-cn ratio. A great part of calcium in both cheeses was solubilised by 50 mmEDTA while the release of casein was poor, confirming the important role of types of interactions other than protein-calcium bonds in the paracasein network. Hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds and electrostatic attractions, contributed substantially to the paracasein stability of both cheese types. The interactions of αs1-casein with calcium played a more significant role in Graviera cheese than in Feta. Finally, the present study demonstrated that the profile of bonds and interactions within the cheese paracasein network was dynamicly configured by the conditions of cheese manufacture.
p16 status and interval neck dissection findings after a ‘clinically complete response’ to chemoradiotherapy in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Miah M S , Spielmann P , White S J , Kennedy C , Kernohan N , Mountain R E , Cassasola R , Mahendran S
Published: June 2015

Objectives:

To evaluate the histopathological findings from post-treatment neck dissection of p16 positive and negative oropharyngeal carcinoma cases, after completion of chemoradiotherapy, and to question the role of neck dissection after a ‘clinically complete response’ to chemoradiotherapy.

Methods:

Data were collected retrospectively from a cohort of patients treated with curative intent using chemoradiotherapy and post-treatment neck dissection. Primary tumours underwent p16 immunohistochemistry. Neck dissection specimens were examined for viable cancer cells.

Results:

A total of 76 cases were assessed. Viable cancer cells were detected from neck dissection in 29 per cent of p16 negative cases. Locoregional recurrence occurred in 12.9 per cent of p16 negative cases. The association between p16 positivity in the primary tumour and histopathologically negative neck dissection was significant (p< 0.05).

Conclusion:

p16 status appeared to be an independent marker of disease control for the cohort in this study. The data raise questions about the role of post-treatment neck dissection in p16 positive cases with a ‘clinically complete response’ to chemoradiotherapy.
Asynchrony in host and parasite phenology may decrease disease risk in livestock under climate warming:Nematodirus battusin lambs as a case study
Authors: GETHINGS OWEN J. , ROSE HANNAH , MITCHELL SIÂN , VAN DIJK JAN , MORGAN ERIC R.
Published: June 2015

Mismatch in the phenology of trophically linked species as a result of climate warming has been shown to have far-reaching effects on animal communities, but implications for disease have so far received limited attention. This paper presents evidence suggestive of phenological asynchrony in a host-parasite system arising from climate change, with impacts on transmission. Diagnostic laboratory data on outbreaks of infection with the pathogenic nematodeNematodirus battusin sheep flocks in the UK were used to validate region-specific models of the effect of spring temperature on parasite transmission. The hatching of parasite eggs to produce infective larvae is driven by temperature, while the availability of susceptible hosts depends on lambing date, which is relatively insensitive to inter-annual variation in spring temperature. In southern areas and in warmer years, earlier emergence of infective larvae in spring was predicted, with decline through mortality before peak availability of susceptible lambs. Data confirmed model predictions, with fewer outbreaks recorded in those years and regions. Overlap between larval peaks and lamb availability was not reduced in northern areas, which experienced no decreases in the number of reported outbreaks. Results suggest that phenological asynchrony arising from climate warming may affect parasite transmission, with non-linear but predictable impacts on disease burden. Improved understanding of complex responses of host-parasite systems to climate change can contribute to effective adaptation of parasite control strategies.
Intensive Milling Practices in the Romano-British Landscape of Southern England: Using Newly Established Criteria for Distinguishing Millstones from Rotary Querns
Authors: Shaffrey Ruth
Published: June 2015

This paper investigates how common intensive milling practices were in southern England during the Romano-British period, by analysing the distribution of millstones, based on an extensive corpus of almost 4,500 querns and millstones compiled by the author. In order to do this, it was necessary to establish criteria for distinguishing millstones from rotary querns, the details of which are set out in an accompanying appendix; this is something which has hitherto not been published. Using the guidelines thereby defined, the distribution of millstones is considered and described by stone type. The resulting data are then used to discuss the following key points: How frequently did mills occur? What types of mills were in use, and when? What were those mills used for?
Forward kinematics modeling of spatial parallel linkage mechanisms based on constraint equations and the numerical solving method
Authors: Gao Liyang , Wu Weiguo
Published: June 2015

In order to solve general kinematics modeling problems and numerical stability problems of numerical methods for spatial parallel linkage mechanisms, a general modeling method and its numerical solving algorithm is proposed. According to the need for avoiding direct singular configurations, valid joint variable space and valid forward kinematics solutions (VKSs) are defined. Taking numerical convergence near singular points into account, the pseudo-arc length homotopy continuation algorithm is given to solve the kinematics model. Finally as an example, the joint variable space of the general Stewart platform mechanism is analyzed, which is proved to be divided into subspaces by direct singular surfaces. And then, forward kinematics solutions of 200 testing points are solved separately using the pseudo-arc length homotopy continuation algorithm, the Newton homotopy continuation algorithm and the Newton–Raphson algorithm (NRA). Comparison of the results shows that the proposed method is convergent to the same solution branch with the initial configuration on all the testing points, while the other two algorithms skip to other solution branches on some near singular testing points.
An epidemiological study of paediatric pulmonary hypertension in Turkey
Authors: Pektas Ayhan , Pektas Bilgehan M. , Kula Serdar
Published: June 2015

Objective

The present study aims to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of paediatric pulmonary hypertension within the entire Turkish population over a period of 5 years using the registry of the National Health Insurance System.

Methods

All individuals aged <18 years who were admitted to a Turkish hospital for the first time between 2009 and 2013 with a discharge diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension and secondary pulmonary hypertension were identified.

Results

The overall annual incidence of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension during childhood was 11.7 cases/million, whereas the overall annual incidence of secondary pulmonary hypertension during childhood was 9.5 cases/million. There was a gradual and significant increase in the annual incidence of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension and that of secondary pulmonary hypertension during the 5-year study period (p=0.001 for both). In the years 2012 and 2013, idiopathic pulmonary hypertension was significantly more frequent in children aged <2 years when compared with children aged above 2 years (p=0.002 for both). The male to female ratio was 1.2:1 for idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, whereas the female to male ratio was 1.1:1 for secondary pulmonary hypertension during childhood.

Conclusion

The incidence of paediatric pulmonary hypertension in Turkey is higher than those reported for the Western populations. Moreover, no female dominance could be observed. These discrepancies may be attributed to the differences in the study design, study cohort, timing of the study, and the definitions adopted for pulmonary hypertension classification.
Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation with the Venus P-valve: clinical experience and early results
Authors: Promphan Worakan , Prachasilchai Pimpak , Siripornpitak Suvipaporn , Qureshi Shakeel A. , Layangool Thanarat
Published: June 2015

Background

At present, the exclusion for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation for free pulmonary regurgitation after tetralogy of Fallot repair includes an unfavourably large right ventricular outflow tract.

Objective

To report feasibility and early experience with a recently developed transcatheter heart valve, Venus P-valveTM, implanted in six patients with severe pulmonary regurgitation with large right ventricular outflow tracts.

Patients

There were two female patients and four male patients. The median age of the patients was 18.5 years, and the mean body weight was 53.8 kg. All the patients were in NYHA class II and had severe pulmonary regurgitation after previous transannular patch repair of tetralogy of Fallot. The median time after the last surgical operation was 13.5 years.

Results

The Venus P-valveTM was successfully implanted in all the patients with implanted valve diameters ranging from 24 to 32 mm. The mean fluoroscopy time was 29.8 minutes. None of the patients had significant outflow tract gradient or pulmonary regurgitation immediately after valve implantation. Only one patient had unexpected mild proximal valve migration to the right ventricular body during withdrawal of the delivery system. It caused mild paravalvar leak and significant tricuspid regurgitation. At 6 months follow-up, the median of right ventricular end-diastolic volume indices decreased from 146 to 108 ml/m2 (p-value=0.046). The Doppler systolic peak gradient across the valve ranged from 4 to 40 mmHg, and there was no evidence of stent fracture on fluoroscopy or structural valve failure.

Conclusion

The Venus P-valveTM can be implanted successfully and effectively in patients with severe pulmonary regurgitation and a large right ventricular outflow tract. The early results with this valve are encouraging.
Disaster Preparedness in Home-based Primary Care: Policy and Training
Authors: Claver Maria L. , Wyte-Lake Tamar , Dobalian Aram
Published: June 2015

Introduction

Veterans served by Veterans Health Administration (VHA) home-based primary care (HBPC) are an especially vulnerable population due to high rates of physical, functional, and psychological limitations. Home-bound patients tend to be an older population dealing with normal changes that accompany old age, but may not adequately be prepared for the increased risk that often occurs during disasters. Home health programs are in an advantageous position to address patient preparedness as they may be one of the few outside resources that reach community-dwelling adults.

Problem

This study further explores issues previously identified from an exploratory study of a single VHA HBPC program regarding disaster preparedness for HBPC patients, including ways in which policy and procedures support the routine assessment of disaster preparedness for patients, including patient education activities.

Methods

This project involved semi-structured interviews with 31 practitioners and leadership at five VHA HBPC programs; three urban and two rural. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using content analysis techniques.

Results

Practitioners reported a need for further training regarding how to assess properly patient disaster preparedness and patient willingness to prepare. Four themes emerged, validating themes identified in a prior exploratory project and identifying additional issues regarding patient disaster preparedness: (1) individual HBPC programs generally are tasked with developing their disaster preparedness policies; (2) practitioners receive limited training about HBPC program preparedness; (3) practitioners receive limited training about how to prepare their patients for a disaster; and (4) the role of HBPC programs is focused on fostering patient self-sufficiency rather than presenting practitioners as first responders. There was significant variability across the five sites in terms of which staff have responsibility for preparedness policies and training.

Conclusion

Variability across and within sites regarding how patient needs are addressed by preparedness policies, and in terms of preparedness training for HBPC providers, could place patients at heightened risk of morbidity or mortality following a disaster. Despite the diversity and uniqueness of HBPC programs and the communities they serve, there are basic aspects of preparedness that should be addressed by these programs. The incorporation of resources in assessment and preparedness activities, accompanied by increased communication among directors of HBPC programs across the country, may improve HBPC programs’ abilities to assist their patients and their caregivers in preparing for a disaster.

ClaverML, Wyte-LakeT, DobalianA. Disaster preparedness in home-based primary care: policy and training. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(4):17.
Five Laws of Politics
Authors: Cuzán Alfred G.
Published: June 2015

Drawing on more than 500 elections from around the world, this article presents five empirical laws of politics. Four of these laws span democracies and dictatorships, and one sets a boundary between the two. In both regimes the governing party or coalition represents a minority of the electorate. In democracies this minority usually represents a plurality that amounts to about one third of the electorate. Judging by the outcome of the first free elections in regimes undergoing a transition, there is reason to believe that in dictatorships the minority is much smaller. Even as they have an advantage over the opposition, the incumbents experience an erosion of support over time. In democracies this leads to alternation in office, which in turn ensures that across many elections about two-thirds of the electorate gets to see its favorite party or coalition in government from time to time. In dictatorships, during long periods in office, support for the ruling party shrinks to insignificance. Also in democracies, it is rare for incumbents to receive more than 60 percent of the vote, and itneverhappens twice within the same spell in government. This appears to be a reliable indicator that differentiatesalldemocracies frommostdictatorships. The conclusion is inescapable—the dictatorial “passion for unanimity” and illusion of “organic unity” notwithstanding, the state is a plurality. The will of the electorate emerges as a result of competition among political parties.
Weight concerns among adolescent boys
Authors: Kelly Colette , Fitzgerald Amanda , Sentenac Mariane , Gakewski Jakub , Molcho Michal , Nic Gabhainn Saoirse
Published: June 2015

Objective

To investigate weight concerns among adolescent boys and relationships with health indicators and family factors.

Design

Analysis of the 2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey of 10–17-year-olds.

Setting

Schools in the Republic of Ireland.

Results

Among 6187 boys, 25·1 % reported a desire to lose weight (weight ‘loss’ concern) and 7·7 % reported a desire to gain weight (weight ‘gain’ concern). Both types of weight concerns were associated with poor self-rated health, life satisfaction and happiness, and with more frequent emotional and physical symptoms. Family factors were associated with boys’ weight concerns. In adjusted analyses, the risk of weight ‘loss’ concerns decreased with daily family breakfasts (OR=0·80; 95 % CI 0·66, 0·97). The risk of weight ‘gain’ concerns decreased with frequent family evening meals (OR=0·77; 95 % CI 0·60, 0·99). Ease of communication with mother was associated with a decreased risk of weight ‘loss’ and weight ‘gain’ concerns among boys (OR=0·74; 95 % CI 0·60, 0·90 and OR=0·61; 95 % CI 0·44, 0·82, respectively). An open father–son relationship and having a father present in the home decreased the risk of weight ‘loss’ concerns (OR=0·69; 95 % CI 0·57, 0·82 and OR=0·81; 95 % CI 0·67, 0·98, respectively).

Conclusions

Body weight concerns were reported by a sizeable minority of boys and were associated with negative health outcomes. The findings support the need to promote frequent family meals and facilitate open communication in families.
Daily intake of dairy products in Brazil and contributions to nutrient intakes: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Murphy Mary M , Barraj Leila M , Toth Lindsey D , Harkness Laura S , Bolster Douglas R
Published: June 2015

Objective

Dairy products are sources of protein and micronutrients important in a healthy diet. The purpose of the present analysis was to estimate consumption of dairy products by Brazilians and identify contributions of dairy products to nutrient intakes.

Design

Dairy consumption data were obtained from 24 h dietary records. Dairy products were defined as milk (including flavoured), cheese and yoghurt. Estimates of dairy product intakes were generated for all individuals, individuals in urban and rural households and for age groups 10–18 years, 19–59 years and ≥60 years. Contributions to nutrient intakes were estimated for the total sample and sub-populations.

Setting

Nationwide cross-sectional survey, 2008–2009.

Subjects

Nationally representative sample of individuals aged ≥10 years in the Individual Food Intake survey, a component of the Brazilian Household Budget Survey (n34 003).

Results

Among individuals aged ≥10 years, per capita intake of dairy products was 142 (se2·1) g/d. Dairy product intake was higher among individuals in urban compared with rural areas and among groups 10–18 years and ≥60 years compared with adults aged 19–59 years. Dairy products accounted for 6·1 % of daily energy intake, 7·3 % of protein, 16·9 % of saturated fat, 11·1 % and 4·3 % of total and added sugars, respectively, and 10·2–37·9 % of daily Ca, vitamin D, P, vitamin A and K.

Conclusions

Dairy products were substantial contributors to daily intakes of selected nutrients of concern in Brazil, although mean daily dairy product consumption was less than a typical portion. Education efforts in Brazil to raise awareness about the nutritional role of dairy foods may serve to improve overall diet quality.
Invoking Magna Carta: Locating Information Objects and Meaning in the 13th to 19th Centuries
Authors: Lock Alexander , Sims Jonathan
Published: June 2015

This article by Alexander Lock and Jonathan Sims describes the context in which Magna Carta was obtained. It distinguishes different versions of the charter and signposts particular documents and publications in the history of its transmission and interpretation up to the early nineteenth century. It also identifies various texts and objects which have indicated the charter's significance for groups and individuals at particular junctures. These include information carrying objects which might support research on Magna Carta within the context of the circulation and reception of legal meaning. A major focus of the article is a chronological account of the charter's invocation from the thirteenth century to the early nineteenth century.