bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the buckling behaviour of thin‐walled hollow concrete piers
Authors: Zhou Lin‐Yun , Liu Zhao
Published: January 2016

Tall hollow concrete piers with high width‐to‐thickness ratios are commonly used in long‐span box girder bridges. Such thin‐walled structures present the possibility of failure due to local buckling. So, in common practice, diaphragms are usually included in hollow piers to improve the local stability; however, is that necessary? Although experimental research on the buckling behaviour of hollow piers has been conducted extensively, few analytical attempts have been performed to reveal the effects of the width‐to‐thickness ratio on local buckling behaviour. To this end, an analytical model has been proposed to investigate the local buckling behaviour of hollow piers. Following the Ritz‐Timoshenko method, an analytical formula for critical local buckling stress has been developed and verified to have good accuracy compared with finite element analyses. Based on the buckling failure mode of a hollow pier with a slenderness ratio > 6, it can be reasonably postulated that the strength of the hollow pier will be unaffected by local compression flange buckling when the wall width‐to‐thickness ratio is < 24, and it is entirely unnecessary to include diaphragms in hollow piers for stability. Additionally, it is equally interesting that the critical width‐to‐thickness ratio of a hollow pier with a slenderness ratio > 4 derived using the proposed model is the same as the value given by the current AASHTO‐LRFD Bridge Design Specifications.
“I am a cheerleader, but secretly I deal drugs” Authenticity through Concealment and Disclosure
Authors: Smirnova Michelle
Published: January 2016

Authenticity requires a balance between being true to others and being true to the self. People keep and disclose secrets in order to maintain authenticity contextually within relationships, as well as across contexts through self‐reflexive evaluations. Based upon a content and discourse analysis of 1600 submissions to the PostSecret mail‐art project, this study explores how secrets are used to manage disparate social, role, and personal identities to sustain coherent selves in some contexts and incoherent selves in others. Secrets are revealed anonymously through the PostSecret mail‐art project, which allows for a cathartic release without disrupting their performances in front of significant others. This project analyzes the attempts made to maintain or achieve authenticity through the dialectical acts of concealment and disclosure.
Permeability of blood–brain barrier in macaque model of 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐induced Parkinson disease
Authors: Thiollier Thibaud , Wu Caisheng , Contamin Hugues , Li Qin , Zhang Jinlan , Bezard Erwan
Published: January 2016

Brain bioavailability of drugs developed to address central nervous system diseases is classically documented through cerebrospinal fluid collected in normal animals, i.e., through an approximation as there are fundamental differences between cerebrospinal fluid and tissue contents. The fact that disease might affect brain availability of drugs is almost never considered at this stage although several conditions are associated with blood–brain barrier damage. Building upon our expertise in Parkinson's disease translational research, the present study addressed this gap comparing plasma and cerebrospinal fluid bioavailability ofl−3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine, carbamazepine, quinidine, lovastatin, and simvastatin, in healthy and 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐treated macaques, the gold standard model of Parkinson's disease. The drugs were selected based upon their differential transport across the blood–brain barrier. Interestingly, brain bioavailability of quinidine was decreased while others were unaffected. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics experiments of drugs addressing Parkinson's disease might thus be performed in healthy animals unless the drugs are known to interact with the organic cation transporter.Synapse 70:231–239, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Perinatal outcomes and intrauterine complications following fetal intervention for congenital heart disease: systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies
Authors: Araujo Júnior E. , Tonni G. , Chung M. , Ruano R. , Martins W. P.
Published: January 2016

Objective

To assess perinatal outcomes and intrauterine complications following fetal intervention for congenital heart disease (CHD).

Methods

A systematic review and meta‐analysis were performed following an electronic search of PubMed and Scopus databases (last searched August 2015). Perinatal outcomes that were assessed included fetal death, live birth, preterm delivery < 37 weeks' gestation and neonatal death. Intrauterine complications that were assessed included bradycardia requiring treatment and hemopericardium requiring drainage. Estimated proportions were reported as mean (95% CI). Inconsistency was assessed using the I2 statistic.

Results

An electronic search identified 2279 records, of which 29 studies (11 retrospective cohort and 18 case reports) were considered eligible for analysis. Fetal death after treatment of CHD by aortic valvuloplasty was reported in three studies, with a rate of 31% (95% CI, 9–60%), after pulmonary valvuloplasty in one study, with a rate of 25% (95% CI, 10–49%), after septoplasty in one study, with a rate of 14% (95% CI, 6–28%) and after pericardiocentesis and/or pericardioamniotic shunt placement in 24 studies, with a rate of 29% (95% CI, 18–41%). Bradycardia requiring treatment was reported after aortic valvuloplasty in two studies, with a rate of 52% (95% CI, 16–87%), after pulmonary valvuloplasty in one study, with a rate of 44% (95% CI, 23–67%), and after septoplasty in one study, with a rate of 27% (95% CI, 15–43%).

Conclusions

Current evidence on the effectiveness of prenatal intervention for CHD derives mostly from case reports and a few larger series; no study was randomized. Although the results of the meta‐analysis are encouraging in terms of perinatal survival, they should be interpreted with caution when comparing with procedures performed after delivery. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Vitamin E supplementation fails to impact measures of oxidative stress or the anaemia of feline chronic kidney disease: a randomised, double‐blinded placebo control study
Authors: Timmons Rebecca M. , Webb Craig B.
Published: January 2016

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that supplementation with vitamin E, an antioxidant, in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD), would reduce oxidative stress and its impact on RBC membrane fragility, resulting in these cats maintaining a greater packed cell volume (PCV) compared with CKD cats not receiving supplementation.

Thirty‐six cats with CKD were randomly assigned to receive either daily vitamin E or a placebo for 3 months in a double‐blinded study design.

History and physical examination, blood pressure, complete blood count (CBC), PCV, biochemical profile and urinalysis (UA) were determined. Parameters of oxidative stress and osmotic fragility were measured. Cats were administered vitamin E or placebo once daily for 3 months. Cats were then reassessed and the diagnostics were repeated.

Twenty‐four cats completed the study, 11 in the vitamin E group and 13 in the placebo group. There were no significant differences between the two groups at the start, or upon completion of the study with regard to biochemical parameters, oxidative stress, erythrocyte osmotic fragility or PCV. None of these parameters changed significantly in either group over the treatment period.

Daily supplementation with 30 IU of vitamin E did not affect the measures of oxidative stress or the anaemia seen in cats with CKD.
Prototype‐based models in machine learning
Authors: Biehl Michael , Hammer Barbara , Villmann Thomas
Published: January 2016

An overview is given of prototype‐based models in machine learning. In this framework, observations, i.e., data, are stored in terms of typical representatives. Together with a suitable measure of similarity, the systems can be employed in the context of unsupervised and supervised analysis of potentially high‐dimensional, complex datasets. We discuss basic schemes of competitive vector quantization as well as the so‐called neural gas approach and Kohonen's topology‐preserving self‐organizing map. Supervised learning in prototype systems is exemplified in terms of learning vector quantization. Most frequently, the familiar Euclidean distance serves as a dissimilarity measure. We present extensions of the framework to nonstandard measures and give an introduction to the use of adaptive distances in relevance learning. WIREs Cogn Sci 2016, 7:92–111. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1378

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Development and Aging

Psychology > Learning
Surgical Results and Oncologic Outcomes for Rectal Cancer with Tailored Mesorectal Excision over Two Decades
Authors: Law Wai Lun , Foo Dominic C. C.
Published: January 2016

Objective

This study aimed to compare the characteristics of the tumors, the management strategy, and oncologic outcomes of patients with rectal cancer surgery in these two periods: period 1 (1993–2001) and period 2 (2002–2011).

Methods

All patients who underwent radical resection of rectal cancer from 1993 to 2011 were included. Comparisons of the patients’ demographics, characteristics, operating results, and oncologic outcome between the two periods were undertaken.

Results

Radical resection for rectal cancer was performed in 1611 patients (993 men). Patients were significantly older and more had comorbid medical diseases in period 2. More laparoscopic resections were performed and more patients had preoperative chemoradiation in period 2. The postoperative mortality was significantly lower and the hospital stay was significantly shorter in period 2. In those with non‐metastatic cancer, the 5‐year local recurrences of patients in period 1 and period 2 were 11.9 and 5.9 %, respectively. (p = 0.002) The patients in period 2 had significantly better 5‐year overall (68.1 vs. 60.2 %, p = 0.003) and 5‐year cancer‐specific survival (76.1 vs. 69.4 %, p < 0.001) when compared with those treated in period 1. The improvement occurred mainly in patients with abdominoperineal resection and those with stage III diseases. In the multivariate analysis, among the other histological factors, operations performed in period 2 and laparoscopic surgery were independent factors associated with better overall survival.

Conclusions

Significant improvement in the surgical outcomes in terms of a lower recurrence rate and better survival was achieved in the recent years with the increase in neoadjuvant therapy and the application of laparoscopic surgery.
Surgical Apgar Score Predicted Postoperative Morbidity After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Eto Kojiro , Yoshida Naoya , Iwatsuki Masaaki , Kurashige Junji , Ida Satoshi , Ishimoto Takatsugu , Baba Yoshifumi , Sakamoto Yasuo , Miyamoto Yuji , Watanabe Masayuki , Baba Hideo
Published: January 2016

Background

Recently, a simple and easy complication prediction system, the Surgical Apgar Sore (SAS) calculated by three intraoperative parameters (estimated blood loss, lowest mean arterial pressure, and lowest heart rate), has been proposed for general surgery. This study aimed to determine if the SAS could accurately predict perioperative morbidity in patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

Methods

We investigated 399 patients who underwent esophagectomy at the Kumamoto University Hospital between April 2007 and March 2015. Clinical data, including intraoperative parameters, were collected retrospectively. Patients had postoperative morbidities classified as Clavien–Dindo grade III or more. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to elucidate factors that affected the development of complications.

Results

The mean age of the study population was 65.7 years, 357 patients (89.5 %) were male. The frequency of any morbidity was 32.3 %. Univariate analyses showed that the SAS as well as preoperative chemotherapy, volume of bleeding, and reconstruction of organs were associated with morbidities. Multivariate analysis showed that a SAS < 5 was found to be an independent risk factor for morbidities.

Conclusion

The SAS is considered to be useful for predicting the development of postoperative morbidities after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.
The Yeast ATF1 Acetyltransferase Efficiently Acetylates Insect Pheromone Alcohols: Implications for the Biological Production of Moth Pheromones
Authors: Ding Bao‐Jian , Lager Ida , Bansal Sunil , Durrett Timothy P. , Stymne Sten , Löfstedt Christer
Published: January 2016

Many moth pheromones are composed of mixtures of acetates of long‐chain (≥10 carbon) fatty alcohols. Moth pheromone precursors such as fatty acids and fatty alcohols can be produced in yeast by the heterologous expression of genes involved in insect pheromone production. Acetyltransferases that subsequently catalyze the formation of acetates by transfer of the acetate unit from acetyl‐CoA to a fatty alcohol have been postulated in pheromone biosynthesis. However, so far no fatty alcohol acetyltransferases responsible for the production of straight chain alkyl acetate pheromone components in insects have been identified. In search for a non‐insect acetyltransferase alternative, we expressed a plant‐derived diacylglycerol acetyltransferase (EaDAcT) (EC 2.3.1.20) cloned from the seed of the burning bush (Euonymus alatus) in a yeast system. EaDAcT transformed various fatty alcohol insect pheromone precursors into acetates but we also found high background acetylation activities. Only one enzyme in yeast was shown to be responsible for the majority of that background activity, the acetyltransferase ATF1 (EC 2.3.1.84). We further investigated the usefulness of ATF1 for the conversion of moth pheromone alcohols into acetates in comparison with EaDAcT. Overexpression of ATF1 revealed that it was capable of acetylating these fatty alcohols with chain lengths from 10 to 18 carbons with up to 27‐ and 10‐fold higher in vivo and in vitro efficiency, respectively, compared to EaDAcT. The ATF1 enzyme thus has the potential to serve as the missing enzyme in the reconstruction of the biosynthetic pathway of insect acetate pheromones from precursor fatty acids in yeast.
Temperature‐Dependent Mechanism of Antioxidant Activity of o‐Hydroxyl, o‐Methoxy, and Alkyl Ester Derivatives of p‐Hydroxybenzoic Acid in Fish Oil
Authors: Farhoosh Reza , Sharif Ali , Asnaashari Maryam , Johnny Saeed , Molaahmadibahraseman Najme
Published: January 2016

The autoxidation of purified fish oil in the presence of different concentrations of o‐hydroxyl, o‐methoxy, and alkyl ester derivatives of p‐hydroxybenzoic at 35–55 °C was evaluated by different kinetic parameters including the stabilizing factor as a measure of effectiveness, the oxidation rate ratio as a measure of strength, and the antioxidant activity which combines the two parameters. Methyl gallate as the most reactive antioxidant participated only in the main reaction of chain termination (ROO· + InH ROOH + In·). Gallic acid, ethyl protocatechuate, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and syringic acid, were able to protect fish oil against oxidation in terms of the extent of their participation in the pro‐oxidative side reactions of chain initiation (InH + ROOH In· + RO· + H2O and InH + O2 In· + HOO·) and the antioxidative side reactions of chain propagation (In· + ROO· In‐OOR and In· + In· products).
Low protein diet during gestation and lactation increases food reward seeking but does not modify sucrose taste reactivity in adult female rats
Authors: da Silva Amanda Alves Marcelino , Oliveira Mayara Matias , Cavalcante Taisy Cinthia Ferro , do Amaral Almeida Larissa Cavalcanti , de Souza Julliet Araújo , da Silva Matilde Cesiana , de Souza Sandra Lopes
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Nutritional deficiencies during neural development may lead to irreversible changes, even after nutritional rehabilitation, promoting morphological and functional adaptations of structures involved with various behaviours including feeding behaviour. However, the ability of the exposure low protein diet during gestation and lactation to affect the hedonic component of food intake is still poorly understood, especially in females.

Methods

Wistar rats were divided into two groups according to the diet offered to the dams during pregnancy and lactation: control female (CF; diet with 17% protein, n = 7) and low protein female (LPF; diet with 8% protein, n = 7). The following parameters were evaluated: (a) body weight during weaning, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 days of life; (b) standard diet intake from 110 to 132 days of life; (c) fat diet and consumption of simple carbohydrates (HFHS) for 1 h at 145 days of life; (d) incentive runway task 60 days after 82 days of life; (e) taste reactivity at 90 days of life; and (f) neuronal activation in the caudate putamen, amygdala, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus under stimulus HFHS at 145 days of life.

Results

The exposure, a low protein diet during gestation and lactation, decreased the body weight throughout the study period from weaning to 90 days of life. However, there was no significant change in the body weight of low protein females from 110 to 132 days of life compared with the control females. There was an increase in the rate of the search for reward and reduced the latency of the perception of bitter taste. The exposure, a low protein diet during gestation and lactation, also promoted hypophagy in adult females compared with control animals. The low protein female had increased HFHS diet consumption compared with the control. Undernutrition increased neuronal activation in response to HFHS diet consumption compared with female controls in the amygdala and in the caudate putamen.

Conclusion

Females subjected to the exposure, a low protein diet during gestation and lactation, exhibit hypophagy on a standard diet but a higher consumption of a diet rich in lipids and simple carbohydrates. And also were more motivated by the pursuit of reward and reduced latency of the bitter taste reactivity, and increased the number of immunoreactive cells c‐fos protein activated in the caudate putamen, amygdala and paraventricular nucleus.
Blood metabolite markers of preclinical Alzheimer's disease in two longitudinally followed cohorts of older individuals
Authors: Casanova Ramon , Varma Sudhir , Simpson Brittany , Kim Min , An Yang , Saldana Santiago , Riveros Carlos , Moscato Pablo , Griswold Michael , Sonntag Denise , Wahrheit Judith , Klavins Kristaps , Jonsson Palmi V. , Eiriksdottir Gudny , Aspelund Thor , Launer Lenore J. , Gudnason Vilmundur , Legido Quigley Cristina , Thambisetty Madhav
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Recently, quantitative metabolomics identified a panel of 10 plasma lipids that were highly predictive of conversion to Alzheimer's disease (AD) in cognitively normal older individuals (n = 28, area under the curve [AUC] = 0.92, sensitivity/specificity of 90%/90%).

Methods

Quantitative targeted metabolomics in serum using an identical method as in the index study.

Results

We failed to replicate these findings in a substantially larger study from two independent cohorts—the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging ([BLSA], n = 93, AUC = 0.642, sensitivity/specificity of 51.6%/65.7%) and the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility‐Reykjavik Study ([AGES‐RS], n = 100, AUC = 0.395, sensitivity/specificity of 47.0%/36.0%). In analyses applying machine learning methods to all 187 metabolite concentrations assayed, we find a modest signal in the BLSA with distinct metabolites associated with the preclinical and symptomatic stages of AD, whereas the same methods gave poor classification accuracies in the AGES‐RS samples.

Discussion

We believe that ours is the largest blood biomarker study of preclinical AD to date. These findings underscore the importance of large‐scale independent validation of index findings from biomarker studies with relatively small sample sizes.
Beta‐amyloid and cognitive decline in late middle age: Findings from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention study
Authors: Clark Lindsay R. , Racine Annie M. , Koscik Rebecca L. , Okonkwo Ozioma C. , Engelman Corinne D. , Carlsson Cynthia M. , Asthana Sanjay , Bendlin Barbara B. , Chappell Rick , Nicholas Christopher R. , Rowley Howard A. , Oh Jennifer M. , Hermann Bruce P. , Sager Mark A. , Christian Bradley T. , Johnson Sterling C.
Published: January 2016

Introduction

The present study investigated the relationship between beta‐amyloid (Aβ) and cognition in a late middle‐aged cohort at risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods

One eighty‐four participants (mean age = 60; 72% parental history of AD) completed a [C‐11]Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography scan and serial cognitive evaluations. A global measure of Aβ burden was calculated, and composite scores assessing learning, delayed memory, and executive functioning were computed.

Results

Higher Aβ was associated with classification of psychometric mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at follow‐up (P < .01). Linear mixed effects regression results indicated higher Aβ was associated with greater rates of decline in delayed memory (P < .01) and executive functioning (P < .05). Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 status moderated the relationship between Aβ and cognitive trajectories (P values <.01).

Discussion

In individuals at risk for AD, greater Aβ in late middle age is associated with increased likelihood of MCI at follow‐up and steeper rates of cognitive decline.
Considering Perspectives on Transgender Inclusion in Canadian Catholic Elementary Schools: Perspectives, Challenges, and Opportunities
Authors: Wright-Maley Cory , Davis Trent , Gonzalez Eileen M. , Colwell Ryan
Published: January 2016

There is a growing recognition in society that more needs to be done to support LGBTQ youth in schools. In particular, school climate reports reveal that this need is particularly pressing for transgender individuals who are little understood and often rendered invisible or made to conform to gender-normative social standards. This mixed methods study surveyed and interviewed preservice teachers at three Catholic institutions. In particular, we focus on the shifting landscape of Catholic education in Canada as it relates to the support of transgender youth. The content of the study is framed by a common first grade social studies theme: family diversity, and takes its lead from the recent papal urging to pursue topics of discomfort at the peripheries of Catholic thinking. We explore how Catholic preservice teachers respond to the idea of teaching about transgender-parent families. The findings show there is dissonance between the personal and professional beliefs of new Catholic teachers. This dissonance is reflective of the beliefs held by North American Catholics at large, thus further illuminating the challenges and opportunities that are present in the emerging discussion about how to best support transgender students in Catholic school contexts.
Presentation and Rehabilitation in a Patient With Toxoplasmosis Encephalitis: A Case Study and Review
Authors: Mattie Ryan , McCormick Zack , Huie Henry
Published: January 2016

Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic infection that often presents in the setting of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The infection can cause severe and potentially fatal encephalitis because of the reactivation of latent infections in the setting of immune suppression. Diagnosing toxoplasmosis encephalitis (TE) in immunocompromised patients often is difficult because the signs and symptoms can be nonspecific, but making a diagnosis of TE is even more challenging in a patient who is not known to have human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and shows no other signs of being immunocompromised. Early diagnosis and treatment can result in rapid radiologic and clinical improvement; however, no studies exist that evaluate the utility of functional rehabilitation for patients diagnosed with TE. Although previous studies report a good prognosis for patients who receive antibiotic treatment, they do not discuss the extent to which functional abilities lost during the infection are returned after their treatment. We discuss a case of stroke‐like presentation of cerebral TE in a patient whose human immunodeficiency virus status was previously unknown and report the functional improvements that were made during acute inpatient rehabilitation.
Early Holocene hydrology and environments of the Ner River (Poland)
Authors: Kittel Piotr , Płociennik Mateusz , Borόwka Ryszard K. , Okupny Daniel , Pawłowski Dominik , Peyron Odille , Stachowicz-Rybka Renata , Obremska Milena , Cywa Katarzyna
Published: January 2016

The Ner River valley (central Poland) underwent substantial transformation during the Weichselian–Holocene transition as a result of fluvial processes and climate changes, resulting in the establishment of its present shape in the Holocene. A multiproxy study based on organic deposits from a palaeochannel fill (Lutomiersk–Koziówki) shows that after the channel was cut off during the late glacial termination, it became a shallow oxbow, fed by local springs. In the Boreal period, the oxbow lake was also fed by precipitation and became a telmatic environment overgrown by rush and swamp vegetation. Finally, it was covered by overbank deposits. The first flooding phase (9900–9600 cal. BP) was followed by the accumulation of overbank sediments (after 9500 cal. BP) and flooding increased after ca. 9300–9000 cal. BP. Pollen data provide information on the regional vegetation context for local and regional changes. In the Atlantic period, an increase in both summer and winter temperatures is inferred from the pollen data, corresponding to an expansion of thermophilous deciduous forests. While in general, flooding phases of the Early Holocene are poorly recognised in Eastern Europe, the Lutomiersk–Koziówki site may be considered as one of the reference points for this phenomenon in the region.
The Law and Politics of the Struggle for Universal Suffrage in Hong Kong, 2013–15
Authors: CHEN Albert H.Y.
Published: January 2016

Post-1997 Hong Kong under the constitutional framework of “One Country Two Systems” has a political system that may be characterized as a “semi-democracy.” Hong Kong’s constitutional instrument—the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China—provides that the ultimate goal of the evolution of Hong Kong’s political system is the election of its Chief Executive by universal suffrage. Since 2003, a democracy movement has developed in Hong Kong that campaigned for the speedy introduction of such universal suffrage. In 2007, the Chinese government announced that universal suffrage for the election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong may be introduced in 2017. In 2014, the Chinese government announced further details of the electoral model. The model was rejected by Hong Kong’s Legislative Council in 2015, with the result that the election of the Chief Executive in 2017 would not materialize. This article seeks to tell this story of Hong Kong’s quest for democratization, focusing particularly on the context and background of the “Occupy Central” Movement that emerged in 2013 and its aftermath. It suggests that the struggle for universal suffrage in the election of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive in 2017 and the obstacles it faced reveal the underlying tensions behind, and the contradictions inherent in, the concept and practice of “One Country, Two Systems,” particularly the conflict between the Communist Party-led socialist political system in mainland China and the aspirations towards Western-style liberal democracy on the part of “pan-democrats” and their supporters in Hong Kong.
Ultrasonography versus computed tomography for initial investigation of suspected nephrolithiasis
Authors: Lin Katie , Dowling Shawn
Published: January 2016

Clinical question

Is ultrasonography a safe and practical alternative to computed tomography for the initial investigation of suspected nephrolithiasis?

Article chosen

Smith-Bindman R, Aubin C, Bailitz J, et al. Ultrasonography versus computed tomography for suspected nephrolithiasis. N Engl J Med 2014;371(12):1100-10.

Objective

To assess the safety and efficacy of ultrasonography as a first-line imaging investigation for patients with suspected nephrolithiasis.
A participatory approach to the development of a co-produced and co-delivered information programme for users of services and family members: the EOLAS programme (paper 1)
Authors: Higgins A. , Hevey D. , Gibbons P. , O'Connor C. , Boyd F. , McBennett P. , Monahan M.
Published: January 2016

Objective

The EOLAS programme is a peer and clinician-led mental health information programme on recovery from mental health difficulties, specifically for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum or bipolar disorders, their family members and significant others.

Method

This article, the first of a two part series, outlines the background to and the rationale behind the EOLAS programme, and traces the participatory process used to inform the development and implementation of the pilot phase of the project. The aims of the programme, and the overarching principles that guided its development, delivery and evaluation, including the set-up of the project steering group are outlined and discussed.

Findings

Two separate programmes, one for family members and one for service users were designed. In addition, participant and facilitator handbooks were developed for each programme, including a training programme for facilitators.

Conclusion

Central to a recovery oriented service is the involvement of service users and families in the design and delivery of services. EOLAS is one potential model for achieving this aim.
On the formation of sediment chains in an oscillatory boundary layer
Authors: Mazzuoli Marco , Kidanemariam Aman G. , Blondeaux Paolo , Vittori Giovanna , Uhlmann Markus
Published: January 2016

The dynamics of spherical particles resting on a horizontal wall and set into motion by an oscillatory flow is investigated by means of a fully coupled model. Both a smooth wall and a rough wall, the latter being composed of resting particles with a random arrangement and with the same diameter as the moving particles, are considered. The fluid and particle motions are determined by means of direct numerical simulations of Navier–Stokes equations and Newton’s laws, respectively. The immersed boundary approach is used to force the no-slip condition on the surface of the particles. In particular, the process of formation of transverse sediment chains, within the boundary layer but orthogonal to the direction of fluid oscillations, is simulated in parameter ranges matching those of laboratory experiments investigating rolling-grain ripple formation. The numerical results agree with the experimental observations and show that the transverse sediment chains are generated by steady recirculating cells, generated by the interaction of the fluid and particle oscillations.
Strong-field spherical dynamos
Authors: Dormy Emmanuel
Published: January 2016

Numerical models of the geodynamo are usually classified into two categories: dipolar modes, observed when the inertial term is small enough; and multipolar fluctuating dynamos, for stronger forcing. We show that a third dynamo branch corresponding to a dominant force balance between the Coriolis force and the Lorentz force can be produced numerically. This force balance is usually referred to as the strong-field limit. This solution coexists with the often described viscous branch. Direct numerical simulations exhibit a transition from a weak-field dynamo branch, in which viscous effects set the dominant length scale, and the strong-field branch, in which viscous and inertial effects are largely negligible. These results indicate that a distinguished limit needs to be sought to produce numerical models relevant to the geodynamo and that the usual approach of minimising the magnetic Prandtl number (ratio of the fluid kinematic viscosity to its magnetic diffusivity) at a given Ekman number is misleading.
The Role of Discs in the Collapse and Fragmentation of Prestellar Cores
Authors: Lomax O. , Whitworth A. P. , Hubber D. A.
Published: January 2016

Disc fragmentation provides an important mechanism for producing low-mass stars in prestellar cores. Here, we describe smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations which show how populations of prestellar cores evolve into stars. We find the observed masses and multiplicities of stars can be recovered under certain conditions.

First, protostellar feedback from a star must be episodic. The continuous accretion of disc material on to a central protostar results in local temperatures which are too high for disc fragmentation. If, however, the accretion occurs in intense outbursts, separated by a downtime of ~ 104yr, gravitational instabilities can develop and the disc can fragment.

Second, a significant amount of the cores’ internal kinetic energy should be in solenoidal turbulent modes. Cores with less than a third of their kinetic energy in solenoidal modes have insufficient angular momentum to form fragmenting discs. In the absence of discs, cores can fragment but results in a top-heavy distribution of masses with very few low-mass objects.
Effects of prenatal and/or postnatal supplementation with iron, PUFA or folic acid on neurodevelopment: update
Authors: Chmielewska Anna , Dziechciarz Piotr , Gieruszczak-Białek Dorota , Horvath Andrea , Pieścik-Lech Małgorzata , Ruszczyński Marek , Skórka Agata , Szajewska Hania
Published: January 2016

Neurodevelopment has been linked, among other factors, to maternal and early infant diets. The objective of this review, which is part of the NUTRIMENTHE research project ‘The effect of diet on the mental performance of children’ (www.nutrimenthe.com), was to update current evidence on the effects of nutritional interventions such as iron, folic acid or n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) supplementation during pregnancy and/or in early life on the mental performance and psychomotor development of children. In May 2014, we searched MEDLINE and The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for relevant studies published since 2009. The limited updated evidence suggests that iron supplementation of infants may positively influence the psychomotor development of children, although it does not seem to alter their mental development or behaviour. The use of multivitamin-containing folic acid supplements during pregnancy did not benefit the mental performance of the offspring. Evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCT) did not show a clear and consistent benefit of n-3 LCPUFA supplementation during pregnancy and/or lactation on childhood cognitive and visual development. Caution is needed when interpreting current evidence, as many of the included trials had methodological limitations such as small sample sizes, high attrition rates, and no intention-to-treat analyses. Taken together, the evidence is still inconclusive. Large, high-quality RCT to assess the effects of supplementation with iron, LCPUFA or folic acid are still needed to further clarify the effects of these, and other nutrients, on neurodevelopment. Recent recommendations from scientific societies are briefly presented.
Mental performance in 8-year-old children fed reduced protein content formula during the 1st year of life: safety analysis of a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Escribano J. , Luque V. , Canals-Sans J. , Ferré N. , Koletzko B. , Grote V. , Weber M. , Gruszfeld D. , Szott K. , Verduci E. , Riva E. , Brasselle G. , Poncelet P. , Closa-Monasterolo R.
Published: January 2016

In humans, maximum brain development occurs between the third trimester of gestation and 2 years of life. Nutrition during these critical windows of rapid brain development might be essential for later cognitive functioning and behaviour. In the last few years, trends on protein recommendations during infancy and childhood have tended to be lower than that in the past. It remains to be demonstrated that lower protein intakes among healthy infants, a part of being able to reduce obesity risk, is safe in terms of mental performance achievement. Secondary analyses of the EU CHOP, a clinical trial in which infants from five European countries were randomised to be fed a higher or a lower protein content formula during the 1st year of life. Children were assessed at the age of 8 years with a neuropsychological battery of tests that included assessments of memory (visual and verbal), attention (visual, selective, focused and sustained), visual-perceptual integration, processing speed, visual-motor coordination, verbal fluency and comprehension, impulsivity/inhibition, flexibility/shifting, working memory, reasoning, visual-spatial skills and decision making. Internalising, externalising and total behaviour problems were assessed using the Child Behaviour Checklist 4–18. Adjusted analyses considering factors that could influence neurodevelopment, such as parental education level, maternal smoking, child’s gestational age at birth and head circumference, showed no differences between feeding groups in any of the assessed neuropsychological domains and behaviour. In summary, herewith we report on the safety of lower protein content in infant formulae (closer to the content of human milk) according to long-term mental performance.
Economic impact of breast-feeding-associated improvements of childhood cognitive development, based on data from the ALSPAC
Authors: Straub Niels , Grunert Philipp , Northstone Kate , Emmett Pauline
Published: January 2016

The aim of this study was to assess the economic benefits of improved cognitive development related to being breast-fed. Breast-feeding rates were assessed in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Educational attainment was assessed at age 16 years with higher attainment defined as gaining five General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) passes at a high grade. The economic benefit of being breast-fed was calculated in a decision model using a child’s educational attainment and the corresponding expected value of average income in later life. There was a positive association between being breast-fed and achieving higher educational attainment, which remained significant, after adjustment for possible confounders: being breast-fed <6 months yielded an OR of 1·30 (95 % CI 1·13, 1·51) and for ≥6 months yielded an OR of 1·72 (95 % CI 1·46, 2·05), compared with never breast-fed children. On the basis of UK income statistics, the present value of lifetime gross income was calculated to be £67 500 higher for children achieving 5 high-grade GCSE passes compared with not achieving this. Therefore, the economic benefit of being breast-fed <6 months would be £4208 and that for ≥6 months would be £8799/child. The model shows that the increased educational attainment associated with being breast-fed has a positive economic benefit for society, even from small improvements in breast-feeding rates. Within a total UK birth cohort of 800 000/year an increase by 1 % in breast-feeding rates would be worth >£33·6 million over the working life of the cohort. Therefore, breast-feeding promotion is likely to be highly cost-effective and policymakers should take this into consideration.
Dietary intake and food sources of added sugar in the Australian population
Authors: Lei Linggang , Rangan Anna , Flood Victoria M. , Louie Jimmy Chun Yu
Published: January 2016

Previous studies in Australian children/adolescents and adults examiningaddedsugar (AS) intake were based on now out-of-date national surveys. We aimed to examine the AS andfreesugar (FS) intakes and the main food sources of AS among Australians, using plausible dietary data collected by a multiple-pass, 24-h recall, from the 2011–12 Australian Health Survey respondents (n8202). AS and FS intakes were estimated using a previously published method, and as defined by the WHO, respectively. Food groups contributing to the AS intake were described and compared by age group and sex by one-way ANOVA. Linear regression was used to test for trends across age groups. Usual intake of FS (as percentage energy (%EFS)) was computed using a published method and compared with the WHO cut-off of <10 %EFS. The mean AS intake of the participants was 60·3 (sd52·6) g/d. Sugar-sweetened beverages accounted for the greatest proportion of the AS intake of the Australian population (21·4 (sd30·1) %), followed by sugar and sweet spreads (16·3 (sd24·5) %) and cakes, biscuits, pastries and batter-based products (15·7 (sd24·4) %). More than half of the study population exceeded the WHO’s cut-off for FS, especially children and adolescents. Overall, 80–90 % of the daily AS intake came from high-sugar energy-dense and/or nutrient-poor foods. To conclude, the majority of Australian adults and children exceed the WHO recommendation for FS intake. Efforts to reduce AS intake should focus on energy-dense and/or nutrient-poor foods.
Constituency Diversity, District Magnitude and Voter Co-ordination
Authors: Potter Joshua D.
Published: January 2016

Why are voters in some electoral constituencies able to successfully co-ordinate their balloting decisions on viable party offerings, while those in other constituencies are not? Prior work on voter co-ordination failures has focused on institutional and elite-level explanations. This article demonstrates that characteristics of the voting constituencies themselves – specifically their socio-demographic diversity – can play an important role in shaping voters’ collective ability to co-ordinate around viable party offerings. It synthesizes theories of collective decision making from the field of organizational psychology with theories of institutions as incentive structures to argue that diversity inhibits collective co-ordination in some contexts, but not others. In so doing, the article offers a new causal mechanism that links diversity and district magnitude to party system size. The argument is tested using a cross-national analysis of tens of thousands of voters across lower house elections in twelve countries.
The Physical Consequences of Fiscal Flexibility: Sovereign Credit and Physical Integrity Rights
Authors: Clay K. Chad , Digiuseppe Matthew R.
Published: January 2016

Leaders are assumed to face fiscal constraints on their ability to remain in office by competitively distributing public and/or private goods. However, many leaders can relax this constraint by borrowing on sovereign credit markets. This article argues that states with the fiscal flexibility offered by favorable credit terms have the resources necessary to (1) respond to citizen demands with policies other than widespread repression and (2) avoid agency loss that may result in unauthorized repression by state agents. Empirical analyses indicate that creditworthy states have greater respect for physical integrity rights and are less likely to suffer diminished respect for those rights when facing violent dissent or negative shocks to government revenues.
Creating theSociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada: The Use of Legal Flexibility in Spanish Company Law, 1869–1953
Authors: Martínez-Rodríguez Susana
Published: January 2016

Spain approved the first law ofSociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada(SRL)—a legal form similar to the German GmbH—in 1953. However, the SRL had already been used, albeit without its own legislation, since the 1920s. How was this possible in a country whose legal system was based on civil law? Its 1885 Commercial Code lacked thenumerus claususprinciple for enterprise forms, a feature that gave entrepreneurs unusual freedom in organizing their firms, and in adopting new business forms not defined in the code. It also invites us to rethink the notion of rigidity in civil law.
Cenomanian–Turonian marine amniote remains from the Saxonian Cretaceous Basin of Germany
Authors: SACHS SVEN , WILMSEN MARKUS , KNÜPPE JOSCHUA , HORNUNG JAHN J. , KEAR BENJAMIN P.
Published: January 2016

The Saxonian Cretaceous Basin constitutes an important source of rare Late Cretaceous marine amniote fossils from Germany. It is also historically famous, having been documented in a series of monographic works published by the distinguished German palaeontologist Hanns Bruno Geinitz in the nineteenth century. The most productive rock units include the upper Cenomanian Dölzschen Formation and upper Turonian Strehlen and Weinböhla limestones (lower Strehlen Formation). A survey of curated specimens recovered from these deposits has now identified isolated teeth of probable polycotylid and elasmosaurid plesiosaurians, as well as several humeri that are referred to protostegid marine turtles. The Saxonian Cretaceous Basin formed a continuous epeiric seaway with the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin during late Cenomanian – Turonian time. A western connection to the North Sea Basin also existed via the North German and Münsterland Cretaceous basins. The Mesozoic marine amniote remains from these regions therefore record a coeval northern European fauna that was probably homogeneous across the northern peri-Tethyan margin during Late Cretaceous time.
Do direct payments improve outcomes for older people who receive social care? Differences in outcome between people aged 75+ who have a managed personal budget or a direct payment
Authors: WOOLHAM JOHN , DALY GUY , SPARKS TIM , RITTERS KATRINA , STEILS NICOLE
Published: January 2016

Direct payments – cash for people eligible for adult social care and spent by them on care and support – are claimed to enable care to better reflect user preferences and goals which improve outcomes. This paper compares outcomes of older direct payment users and those receiving care via a managed personal budget (where the budget is spent on the recipients behalf by a third party). The study adopted a retrospective, comparative design using a postal questionnaire in three English councils with adult social care responsibilities in 2012–13. Included in the study were 1,341 budget users aged 75+, living in ordinary community settings. The overall response rate was 27.1 per cent (339 respondents). Three validated scales measured outcomes: EQ-5D-3L (health status), the Sheldon–Cohen Perceived Stress Scale and the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (social care-related quality of life). The study found that direct payment users appreciated the control conferred by budget ownership, but in practice, for many it did not ‘translate’ into improved living arrangements. It also found no statistically significant difference in outcomes between direct payment and managed personal budget users. The paper argues that despite policy and other guidance and research evidence about effective implementation of direct payments for older people, the absence of evidence for better outcomes may at least in part be attributable to values underpinning policies relating to personalisation and personal budgets.
A framework for safe assisted navigation of semi-autonomous vehicles among moving and steady obstacles
Authors: Savkin Andrey V. , Wang Chao
Published: January 2016

We present a novel framework for collision free assisted navigation of a semi-autonomous vehicle in complex unknown environments with moving and steady obstacles. In the proposed system, a semi-autonomous vehicle is guided by a human operator and an automatic reactive navigator. The autonomous reactive navigation block takes control from the human operator in situations where there is the danger of collision with obstacle. A mathematically rigorous analysis of the proposed approach is provided. The performance of the proposed assisted navigation system is demonstrated via experiments with a real semi-autonomous hospital bed and extensive computer simulations.