Search

We describe a rare case of Soemmering’s ring-induced uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema (UGH) syndrome, caused by an undisplaced, in-the-bag intraocular lens (IOL) 16 years after implantation. The presenting symptoms were recurrent episodes of transient monocular vision loss, which prompted extensive unremarkable investigations. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) eventually revealed an enlarging Soemmering’s ring contacting the posterior iris and causing UGH syndrome. This is a unique case because the IOL haptics remained in the bag. Anterior vitrectomy, Soemmering’s ring extraction, IOL exchange to a 3-piece IOL, and implantation of a trabecular meshwork bypass microstent were performed. IOP control and both functional and structural stability were achieved long term. Soemmering’s ring-induced UGH syndrome should be on the differential of a patient with previous cataract surgery and elevated IOP complaining of visual disturbances. Early diagnosis with UBM and surgical intervention may provide optimal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the end of its absolute monarchy in 1932, Thailand has been variously described as a “hybrid regime,” “flawed democracy,” and “failed democracy.” Furthermore, its governance system has been identified as “electoral authoritarianism,” ‘hybrid authoritarianism,” “military domination,” and “Thai-style democracy.” Regardless of the analytic lens applied, the history of Thai politics has involved a continuing struggle for control of government between both authoritarian and democratic forces. Following the 2014 military coup d’état, the first election held in 2019 saw the 2014 military coup leader, General Prayuth Chan-o-cha, elected as prime minister. This article assesses the conduct and results of the 2019 election in terms of the general discourse on electoral authoritarianism and as an emerging framing of authoritarian regimes particularly applicable to Southeast Asia—the rise of “sophisticated authoritarianism.” This approach distills and integrates the discourse on electoral authoritarianism to produce a typology that is useful for considering the empirical characteristics of Southeast Asia. The 2019 election offers an opportunity to consider Thailand within this framing and to determine to what extent the military-dominated regime and its holistic manipulation of electoral institutions and processes can be assessed as “sophisticated authoritarianism.” This study demonstrates that Prayuth’s election partially demonstrates “sophisticated authoritarianism”; nonetheless, his attempt to depoliticise Thailand and reduce it to a non-political state has met substantial resistance that will likely persist while he remains in power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address historical concerns surrounding vasectomy in childless men, we sought to evaluate for the level of regret in this unique cohort. The records of patients who underwent vasectomy via single surgeon between 2006 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed and those who had not fathered children in any capacity at time of vasectomy were selected. We devised a 6-question survey inquiring about regret and thoughts on vasectomy reversal and assisted reproductive technology (ART). The questions are listed in Table 1. Patients were queried via a telephone call to rate their level of regret, both immediately after vasectomy and present day. The cohort was analyzed via age at time of vasectomy, time since vasectomy and marital status. There were 4812 overall patients who underwent vasectomy in this interval, with 205 (4.3%) who were childless. The response rate was 33.2% (68/205). Average age was 36.6 years with average time since vasectomy at time of phone call was 5.51 years. Regret rate was 4.4% immediately following vasectomy and 7.4% at time of telephone interview. A confirmatory, second consultation before vasectomy was present in 6.8% (14/205). The majority of patients 150/205 (73.1%) were married. When patients were stratified by marital status, there was no significant difference in any of the questions. The majority of patients were satisfied with their decision, with few contemplating or pursuing reversal or ART (Table 1). Regret in childless patients who undergo vasectomy is very rare, with the majority of patients feeling that their life was improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past years, the role of universities has been faced with important changes that led to substantial attention from both researchers and policy-makers to their third mission, labelled 'a contribution to society', besides the teaching and research missions. University spin-offs (USOs or ASOs, for Academic spin-offs), emerged among the potential means for universities to pursue the third mission. Research on the creation, emergence, development and scaling up of USOs has grown significantly with contributions from multiple subject areas. This special issue contributes to the research debate by presenting novel insights that deepen and enhance our understanding of the dynamics surrounding the entrepreneurial aspects of academic spin-offs, their growth and their mutual relationship with regional development. The special issue provides rigorous qualitative, quantitative and theoretical investigations to form a research agenda which will help guide future research efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe asthma is a major cause of morbidity. Some patients may benefit from biological therapies. Most evaluations of these treatments are derived from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), but few patients are eligible for these trials. Studies involving more diverse groups of participants exist, but there is a lack of precise pooled estimates. Objective: This systematic review aims to evaluate the real‐world efficacy of recently and nearly licensed biological therapies for severe asthma to assess the generalizability of the RCT data. Methods: Clinical outcomes including exacerbation rate, oral corticosteroid usage, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were examined. Studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist tool. The certainty of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE). Results: A total of 21 studies examining biologicals in real‐world settings were identified; they mostly focused on benralizumab and mepolizumab. The introduction of biologicals reduced the annualzsed exacerbation rate significantly by −3.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] −4.53, −3.04), −3.17 (95% CI −3.74, −2.59) and −6.72 (95% CI −8.47, −4.97) with benralizumab, mepolizumab and reslizumab, respectively. Likewise, improvements were observed in FEV1 (0.17 L 95% CI 0.11, 0.24) and FeNO (−14.23 ppb 95% CI −19.71, −8.75) following the treatment with mepolizumab. After treatment with benralizumab, there was an increase in FEV1 (0.21 L 95% CI 0.08, 0.34). Conclusions: These data demonstrate that anti‐IL5 biologicals may improve the clinical outcomes of patients with severe asthma in a clinic environment with similar effect sizes to RCTs. The data were mainly retrospective and unadjusted, so estimated effect sizes may not be reliable. More data are needed to acquire accurate effect estimates in different subpopulations of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current EU policies aim to support regional research, development, and innovation activities. The Cohesion Policy, implemented through Structural Funds (SFs) Operational Programmes, seeks to foster local level innovation. In parallel, universities have become important drivers of regional development through their 'third mission' driven by the different policy levels. This article investigates the tensions between the primary institutional logics of the university and the institutional logic of the SF programmes in peripheral regions as experienced by a multi-disciplinary university network from Finland. The findings from the case study reveal competing and co-evolving institutional logics of the two frameworks; university-led SF activities increase collaboration with local stakeholders, but the implementation of SF projects remains challenging (e.g. strict guidelines, higher education (HE) policies driving research excellence). Further investigation of these results in different regional contexts could provide new tools for managing the university third mission more efficiently, through SF programmes and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The smart city movement (SCM) is spreading globally with increasing velocity. With its international allure, it has generated a burgeoning body of international literature, much of which forms what the current study refers to as a 'normalised discourse'. The international literature also includes a growing body of criticism that addresses hazards associated with this normalised discourse. The current study labels the collective product of this criticism as identification of the 'normalised problematics' of the SCM. In 2018, Singapore announced that 26 cities would form the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN). This article assesses the ASCN in terms of the SCM discourse and its normalised problematics through the Quintuple Helix frame of innovation economics. Our analysis suggests that the authoritarian nature of some ASEAN countries has serious implications for participatory and therefore socio-ecologically sustainable urban planning and governance, for the ASCN projects specifically, and for similar national and regional projects globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust biological markers of dietary exposure are essential in improving the understanding of the link between diet and health outcomes. Polyphenolic compounds, including flavonoids, have been proposed to mitigate the risk of chronic diseases where oxidative stress and inflammation play a central role. Biomarkers can provide objective measurement of the levels of polyphenolic compounds. In this study, we provide methodology to identify potential candidate markers of polyphenol intake in human serum. Seventeen participants from the UK arm of the Global Allergy and Asthma Network of Excellence (GA2LEN) had their dietary intake estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and serum samples were assessed using mass spectrometry to identify potential candidate markers. 144 features were assigned identities, of these we identified four biologically relevant compounds (rhamnazin 3-rutinoside, 2-galloyl-1,4-galactarolactone methyl ester, 2″,32″-di-O-p-coumaroylafzelin and cyclocommunin), which were significantly increased in the serum of participants with high predicted level of fruit and vegetable intake. 2-galloyl-1,4-galactarolactone methyl ester was strongly correlated with total flavonoids (r = 0.62; P = 0.005), flavan-3-ols (r = 0.67; P = 0.002) as well as with other four subclasses. Rhamnazin 3-rutinoside showed strong correlation with pro-anthocyanidins (r = 0.68; P = 0.001), flavones (r = 0.62; P = 0.005). Our results suggest that serum profiling for these compounds might be an effective way of establishing the relative intake of flavonoids and could contribute to improve the accuracy of epidemiological methods to ascertain flavonoid intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 07-year-old boy with parental concerns of progressive left orbital swelling. Topics include starting on intravenous (IV) vancomycin and transferring to the hospital for inhouse pediatric otolaryngology specialty consultation; and demonstrating complete opacification of the left ethmoid air cells and near-complete opacification of the maxillary sinus.

Demonization has been used as tool for the maintenance of ruling regimes throughout history. Institutionalized, it becomes regime policy, exemplified in the extreme by the German Nazi regime's demonization of Jews. Dehumanized imagery is used to distinguish 'others', i.e. social, cultural, political, and/or economic out-groups, from 'normal' members of society and to support the power and control ambitions of those who hold or seek to hold dominant societal positions. Demonization is institutionalized through interaction among a variety of cultural carriers including religion, news media, and popular culture. It is used as an excuse for social exclusion and violence. It is most dangerous when it receives tacit acceptance or active support by central societal institutions, including government. The current article considers the processes and products of demonization in Thailand as it has appeared in national politics. Demonization has proven to be a strategic tool deployed by Thailand's 'social cage' to harm those who have sought political change and threaten its established institutional interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with cervical dystonia (CD) typically require regular injections of botulinum toxin to maintain symptomatic control. We aimed to document long-term patient satisfaction with CD symptom control in a large cohort of patients treated in routine practice. Methods: This was a prospective, international, observational study (NCT01753349) following the course of adult CD treated with botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) over 3 years. A comprehensive clinical assessment status was performed at each injection visit and subjects reported satisfaction in two ways: satisfaction with symptom control at peak effect and at the end of treatment cycle. Results: Subject satisfaction remained relatively stable from the first to the last injection visit. At 3 years, 89.9% of subjects reported satisfaction with symptom control at peak effect and 55.6% reported satisfaction with symptom control at end of treatment cycle. By contrast, objective ratings of CD severity showed an overall reduction over 3 years. Mean ± SD Toronto Western Spasmodic Rating Scale (TWSTRS) Total scores (clinician assessed at end of treatment cycle) decreased from 31.59 ± 13.04 at baseline to 24.49 ± 12.43 at 3 years (mean ± SD reduction from baseline of − 6.97 ± 11.56 points). Tsui scale scores also showed gradual improvement; the percent of subjects with a tremor component score of 4 reduced from 12.4% at baseline to 8.1% at 3 years. Conclusions: Despite objective clinical improvements over 3 years, subject satisfaction with symptom control remained relatively constant, indicating that factors other than symptom control also play a role in patient satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stage migration of RCC has left 70% of those diagnosed with stage 1 disease. • Recurrence rate of pT1a RCC after excision is rare with the most common site being lung. • Guidelines have not evolved around chest imaging protocol to reflect this fact. • An alternative chest screening protocol after pT1a RCC excision should be considered. Following surgical excision of pT1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC), 2% to 5% will recur, with 50% to 60% being lung metastases. The ideal surveillance strategy to identify recurrences is unclear. Guidelines are mixed, with NCCN and AUA recommending surveillance via chest x-ray (CXR) at least annually for 5 years, while EAU guidelines do not specifically recommend the use of CXR. In an effort to clarify the utility of surveillance CXR, we retrospectively evaluated pT1a patients following surgical treatment at a single institution. We performed retrospective analysis of unique patients who underwent surgical excision of pT1 RCC between January 2000 and January 2020. In addition to demographic information, we collected RCC pathology, recurrence details, and most recent chest imaging. We excluded non-RCC pathology, and patients with pulmonary nodules on baseline imaging. We identified 463 unique patients (mean age 58.3 years, range 23–87) that underwent surgical excision of pT1a RCC with mean follow-up of 47.6 months (range 1–201). On the most recent pulmonary surveillance imaging, 72.4% (335/463) had CXR while 27.6% (128/463) had chest CT performed. Regardless of modality, pulmonary recurrence was not detected on any surveillance imaging (0/463). In patients without baseline preoperative lung pathology, we found that there is questionable clinical value in surveillance for pulmonary recurrence after resection of pT1a RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a major contributor to subfertility, diabetes and cardiovascular disease in women. The role of non-pharmacological interventions to prevent these outcomes has been reported in many systematic reviews, but robust conclusions have not been made due to variations in the scope, quality and findings of these reviews.Objective and Rationale: Our aim was to provide an overview of existing evidence on the effects of non-pharmacological interventions in women with PCOS on fertility and non-fertility outcomes by a review of existing systematic reviews.Search Methods: We reviewed systematic reviews of randomized trials that have evaluated the effects of non-pharmacological interventions, such as lifestyle interventions, nutritional supplements or alternative medicine therapies in women with PCOS on fertility, endocrine, glycaemic and weight-related outcomes. We assessed the quality of systematic reviews with the AMSTAR tool, and reported the outcomes with regard to: fertility (live birth, clinical pregnancy, ovulation and menstrual cycle regularization); endocrine outcomes (Ferriman-Gallwey score, free androgen index, free testosterone and total testosterone levels); and glycaemic (fasting blood insulin, fasting blood glucose, homoeostatic model assessment) and weight-related (BMI) outcomes. We assessed the strength of evidence for significant outcomes as per the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) system.Outcomes: We found twelve eligible systematic reviews which included between three (143 women) and 27 randomized trials (2093 women). Four reviews assessed the effects of lifestyle interventions (diet, physical activity and/or behavioural interventions); four evaluated nutritional supplements (one each on n-acetylcysteine, omega-3 fatty acids, inositol and vitamin D); and four studied alternative medical therapies (Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture). All of the included reviews were of high quality and scored between 8 and 11 with the AMSTAR tool (with a maximum score of 11).Randomized evidence is lacking for live birth rate. N-acetylcysteine, inositol and the addition of alternative medicine to ovulation induction agents show preliminary potential to improve fertility (odds ratios (OR) for clinical pregnancy rate range from 1.99 to 4.83). Lifestyle interventions show benefits in improving hirsutism (mean difference (MD): -1.01 to -1.19). Lifestyle interventions (MD: -1.10 to -2.02), inositol (MD: -2.1) and acupuncture (MD: -1.90 to -3.43) all show some evidence of improvement in glycaemic outcomes and there is some evidence of reduced BMI with lifestyle interventions (MD: -0.15 to -1.12). All of these outcomes scored either low or very low quality of evidence on the GRADE score.Wider Implications: Lifestyle interventions in women with PCOS appear to improve glycaemic results, androgenic symptoms and anthropometric outcomes. The role of inositol and N-acetylcysteine in women with PCOS needs further evaluation. Large primary trials on all interventions are needed for an agreed set of core outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) has been typically proposed as mechanism of electron transfer among methanogenic populations in granules during anaerobic digestion where Geobacter species play a key role. Using anaerobic granules where Geobacteraceae members were not prevalent − representing only 0.3% of total bacteria −, tests incubated with two co-substrates showed that the rate of methanogenesis from formate and hydrogen diminished in the presence of a non-methanogenic co-substrate such as ethanol. This could indicate that biological DIET occurs and competes with hydrogen and formate during methanogenesis. Moreover, the addition of conductive microparticles, such as stainless steel and granular activated carbon, was found to increase methanogenic activity in disintegrated granules by 190 ± 18% and 175 ± 22% respectively as compared to disintegrated granules devoid of microparticles. The addition of non-conductive microparticles such as porcelain however decreased methanogenic activity by 65 ± 3% of the disrupted granules without microparticle activity. These results indicate that syntrophic bacteria from anaerobic sludge excluding Geobacter species can also carry out conductive mineral mediated DIET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is strong biological plausibility for a causal role of reactive oxygen species in vascular pathology but no direct epidemiological evidence linking elevated reactive oxygen species levels to hypertension development. We examined cross-sectional and prospective associations between oxidative status (urinary F2-isoprostanes) and hypertension in the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study cohort (n = 831).Methods: The cohort included non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic black individuals, with 252 (30%) having prevalent hypertension and 579 participants normotensive at baseline, 122 (21%) of whom developed hypertension during the 5-year follow-up. Four urinary F2-isoprostane isomers were quantified in baseline specimens using LC/MS-MS and were summarized as a composite index. Examined outcomes included hypertension status (yes/no), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP).Results: Prevalent and incident hypertension were associated with greater age, Black race, impaired glucose tolerance, and greater BMI. F2-IsoP levels were lower among men and among non-Hispanic Blacks, were inversely associated with age, and were directly associated with BMI. No cross-sectional association was found between F2-isoprostanes and hypertension status (OR = 0.93, 0.77-0.12). Among the continuous measures of blood pressure only PP was associated with F2-isoprostanes at baseline (beta-coefficient = 0.99, 0.11-1.86). No prospective association was found between F2-isoprostanes and incident hypertension: OR = 0.98, 0.77-1.25. No prospective associations were found for systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure. Mean arterial pressure showed an inverse association (beta-coefficient = -0.16, -0.31 to -0.01).Conclusions: Elevated F2-isoprostane levels do not increase the risk of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To find the efficacy of radiofrequency identification (RFID) strips in reading patient treatment details and as a tool for patient identification. Materials and Methods: The initial part of the study was done in in-vitro dentures and later in in-vivo conditions in patient dentures. In-vitro testing was done by incorporating RFID strips in 10 nonclinical dentures and the ability of the RFID reader to accurately read the information was checked. In the second part of the study, 35 implant-supported overdenture patients were chosen and RFID strips were incorporated in their dentures after feeding the data. The accuracy of the RFID reader to read the patient details and treatment information was checked after processing and after a period of 6 months. Results: The in-vitro results revealed 100% accurate reading of the details by the RFID reader. In the clinical study, 35 out of 35 patient details were readable after processing. Conclusion: RFID can be an effective tool in denture identification and in revealing the patient's previous treatment history, prosthesis type, implant brand, dimensions, and material used which will be very useful in implant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents introduction which talks about talks about the multi-campus systems and the rise in enrollment of students into multi-campus addition to U.S. and multi-campus universities and Great Britain and South Africa and Australia and Mozambique.

This paper examines the potential for engagement in local innovation activities of six rural university campus developments in the UK. A number of common narratives emerged around the tension between local educational interests, and the needs of local industry. The paper examines both the strategies of the campuses and the expectations of local partners. Whilst these new campuses have been able to add to the regional innovation systems of rural areas, they struggle with economies of scale and scope. Where disciplinary specialisation has been pursued, potential exists for engagement with niche clusters, although a long development period is required. Where campuses have focused on broad educational equity issues, engagement with business has been difficult to achieve. Overall policies to enhance rural innovation through new university campuses must be seen to be very long term strategies and not necessarily congruent with strategies to increase HE participation and equity of opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares research on evaluation of public policies in Brazil and the United States. To examine the extent to which evaluation research has been established in these countries, this article uses the methods of bibliometric and social network analysis to compare recent use of evaluation research in these countries. The results show that Brazil and the United States have focused on the same areas of research, especially the areas of health, education and social welfare. It was also observed that researchers from both countries use research methods, although American researchers make more use of quanti-quali methods, and that research networks on policy evaluation in the two country have similar characteristics, although the average size and density of networks in Brazil is less than that in the United States. On the basis of the evidence, it is concluded that evaluation research in Brazil evolved during the period investigated and is becoming consolidated as a field of study and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates historical and current developments regarding governmental policies aimed at enhancing spatial equity (access) or decentralisation of higher education provision in three countries-Australia, Canada and Norway. We then shed light on the links or interrelations between policy objectives and initiatives and institutional diversity and regional development more broadly. We found evidence of convergence trends in Norway and Canada resulting in the rise of hybrid organisational forms, as well as the critical importance of policy frameworks in either maintaining or eroding the traditional binary divide. The cross-country data suggest a rather mixed or nuanced picture when it comes to regional development. Finally, the paper identifies a number of key challenges facing the systems, suggests possible ways of tackling them and sheds light on avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stimulation of a specific site in the dorsolateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) was recently associated with slower motor progression in Parkinson's Disease (PD), based on the deep brain stimulation (DBS) in early-stage PD pilot clinical trial. Here, subject-level visualizations are presented of this early-stage PD dataset to further describe the relationship between active contacts and motor progression. This study also evaluates whether stimulation of the sweet spot and connectivity model associated with slower motor progression is also associated with improvements in long-term motor outcomes in patients with advanced-stage PD. Methods: Active contacts of the early-stage PD cohort (N = 14) were analyzed alongside the degree of two-year motor progression. Sweet spot and connectivity models derived from the early-stage PD cohort were then used to determine how well they can estimate the variance in long-term motor outcomes in an independent STN-DBS cohort of advanced-stage PD patients (N = 29). Results: In early-stage PD, proximity of stimulation to the dorsolateral STN was associated with slower motor progression. In advanced-stage PD, stimulation proximity to the early PD connectivity model and sweet spot were associated with better long-term motor outcomes (R = 0.60, P < 0.001; R = 0.37, P = 0.046, respectively). Conclusions: Results suggest stimulation of a specific site in the dorsolateral STN is associated with both slower motor progression and long-term motor improvements in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being the leading cause of cancer-related childhood mortality, pediatric gliomas have been relatively understudied, and the repurposing of immunotherapies has not been successful. Whole-transcriptome sequencing, single-cell sequencing, and sequential multiplex immunofluorescence were used to identify an immunotherapeutic strategy that could be applied to multiple preclinical glioma models. MAPK-driven pediatric gliomas have a higher IFN signature relative to other molecular subgroups. Single-cell sequencing identified an activated and cytotoxic microglia (MG) population designated MG-Act in BRAF-fused, MAPK-activated pilocytic astrocytoma (PA), but not in high-grade gliomas or normal brain. T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3 (TIM3) was expressed on MG-Act and on the myeloid cells lining the tumor vasculature but not normal brain vasculature. TIM3 expression became upregulated on immune cells in the PA microenvironment, and anti-TIM3 reprogrammed ex vivo immune cells from human PAs to a proinflammatory cytotoxic phenotype. In a genetically engineered murine model of MAPK-driven, low-grade gliomas, anti-TIM3 treatment increased median survival over IgG- and anti–PD-1–treated mice. Single-cell RNA-Seq data during the therapeutic window of anti-TIM3 revealed enrichment of the MG- Act population. The therapeutic activity of anti-TIM3 was abrogated in mice on the CX3CR1 MG–KO background. These data support the use of anti-TIM3 in clinical trials of pediatric low-grade, MAPK-driven gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered organic superconductors of the BEDT family are model systems for understanding the interplay of the Mott transition with superconductivity, magnetic order, and frustration, ingredients that are essential to understand superconductivity also in the cuprate high-temperature superconductors. Recent experimental studies on a hole-doped version of the organic compounds reveals an enhancement of superconductivity and a rapid crossover between two different conducting phases above the superconducting dome. One of these phases is a Fermi liquid, the other not. Using plaquette cellular dynamical mean field theory with state-of-the-art continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo calculations, we study this problem with the two-dimensional Hubbard model on the anisotropic triangular lattice. Phase diagrams as a function of temperature T and interaction strength U/t are obtained for anisotropy parameters t'=0.4t,t'=0.8t and for various fillings. As in the case of the cuprates, we find, at finite doping, a first-order transition between two normal-state phases. One of theses phases has a pseudogap while the other does not. At temperatures above the critical point of the first-order transition, there is a Widom line where crossovers occur. The maximum (optimal) superconducting critical temperature Tmc at finite doping is enhanced by about 25% compared with its maximum at half filling and the range of U/t where superconductivity appears is greatly extended. These results are in broad agreement with experiment. Also, increasing frustration (larger t'/t) significantly reduces magnetic ordering, as expected. This suggests that for compounds with intermediate to high frustration, very light doping should reveal the influence of the first-order transition and associated crossovers. These crossovers could possibly be even visible in the superconducting phase through subtle signatures. We also predict that destroying the superconducting phase by a magnetic field should reveal the first-order transition between metal and pseudogap. Finally, we predict that electron doping should also lead to an increased range of U/t for superconductivity but with a reduced maximum Tc. This work also clearly shows that the superconducting dome in organic superconductors is tied to the Mott transition and its continuation as a transition separating pseudogap phase from correlated metal in doped compounds, as in the cuprates. Contrary to heavy fermions for example, the maximum Tc is definitely not attached to an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point. That can also be verified experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musicians have enhanced auditory processing abilities. In some studies, these abilities are paralleled by an improved understanding of speech in noisy environments, partially due to more robust encoding of speech signals in noise at the level of the brainstem. Little is known about the impact of musicianship on attention-dependent cortical activity related to lexical access during a speech-in-noise task. To address this issue, we presented musicians and nonmusicians with single words mixed with three levels of background noise, across two conditions, while monitoring electrical brain activity. In the active condition, listeners repeated the words aloud, and in the passive condition, they ignored the words and watched a silent film. When background noise was most intense, musicians repeated more words correctly compared with nonmusicians. Auditory evoked responses were attenuated and delayed with the addition of background noise. In musicians, P1 amplitude was marginally enhanced during active listening and was related to task performance in the most difficult listening condition. By comparing ERPs from the active and passive conditions, we isolated an N400 related to lexical access. The amplitude of the N400 was not influenced by the level of background noise in musicians, whereas N400 amplitude increased with the level of background noise in nonmusicians. In nonmusicians, the increase in N400 amplitude was related to a reduction in task performance. In musicians only, there was a rightward shift of the sources contributing to the N400 as the level of background noise increased. This pattern of results supports the hypothesis that encoding of speech in noise is more robust in musicians and suggests that this facilitates lexical access. Moreover, the shift in sources suggests that musicians, to a greater extent than nonmusicians, may increasingly rely on acoustic cues to understand speech in noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective and approved therapy for advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), and a recent study suggests efficacy in mid-stage disease. This manuscript reports the results of a pilot trial investigating preliminary safety and tolerability of DBS in early PD. Methods: Thirty subjects with idiopathic PD (Hoehn & Yahr Stage II off medication), age 50–75, on medication ≥6 months but ≤4 years, and without motor fluctuations or dyskinesias were randomized to optimal drug therapy (ODT) (n = 15) or DBS + ODT (n = 15). Co-primary endpoints were the time to reach a 4-point worsening from baseline in the UPDRS-III off therapy and the change in levodopa equivalent daily dose from baseline to 24 months. Results: As hypothesized, the mean UPDRS total and part III scores were not significantly different on or off therapy at 24 months. Medication requirements in the DBS + ODT group were lower at all time points with a maximal difference at 18 months. With a few exceptions, differences in neuropsychological functioning were not significant. Two subjects in the DBS + ODT group suffered serious adverse events; remaining adverse events were mild or transient. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that subjects with early stage PD will enroll in and complete trials testing invasive therapies and provides preliminary evidence that DBS is well tolerated in early PD. The results of this trial provide the data necessary to design a large, phase III, double-blind, multicenter trial investigating the safety and efficacy of DBS in early PD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Anterocollis (AC) and retrocollis (RC) are less common cervical dystonia (CD) subtypes that are often under-represented in CD clinical trials. Herein we describe real-world demographics, disease characteristics, and treatment response to onabotulinumtoxinA (onabotA) in AC or RC patients from an observational, multicenter, prospective registry, CD PROBE. After three onabotA treatments, outcomes (CDIP-58, PGIC, CGIC, CD severity, TWSTRS) in patients with predominant AC or RC were compared to torticollis (TC) and all CD subtypes combined. The mean dosages at each treatment ranged from 153.5 to 195.4 U (AC) to 184.0–213.4 U (RC). After treatment, AC and RC patients reported improvements in the CDIP-58. "Much" or "very much improved" on PGIC and CGIC was reported by AC patients (n = 11/23, 48%) and clinicians (n = 14/23, 61%); and by RC patients (n = 14/24, 58%) and clinicians (n = 19/24, 83%). The mean total TWSTRS decreased from 45.7 (n = 59) to 36.1 (n = 23, 21.0% improvement) for AC patients and from 40.1 (n = 55) to 31.6 (n = 23, 21.2% improvement) for RC patients; the proportion of AC and RC patients with severe CD decreased. Outcomes for AC and RC were generally consistent with those for TC and all subtypes combined. Dysphagia was reported in 4/59 (6.8%) of AC patients (one serious), 7/55 (12.7%) of RC patients (none serious), 29/494 (5.9%) of TC patients (none serious), and 64/1012 (6.3%) of all CD patients (two serious). No new safety signals were identified. In conclusion, treatment with onabotA may relieve CD symptoms in some patients with AC and RC, consistent with results for other CD subtypes and the known safety profile of onabotA for the treatment of CD. [Display omitted] • Demographics, treatment utilization and response to onabotulinumtoxinA in patients with anterocollis or retrocollis. • Meaningful improvement of anterocollis and retrocollis was noted in some patients after treatment with onabotulinumtoxinA. • Real-world studies can help inform anterocollis and retrocollis treatment decisions by clinicians, patients, and caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was framed within the research line of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences entitled: production, management and sustainable development of agricultural, livestock and forestry products with an ecosystem approach. In addition, it was aligned with the sub-line of the Animal Husbandry career: local, regional and national integrated livestock development and management. The genera Panicum máximum varieties such as Mombaza, Tanzania and Zuri have been introduced in different regions of the country with success and failure because they have been established in regions with totally different climate, soil and topography characteristics, which generates low productivities. The objective of this work was to study the bromatological performance of three cultivars of Panicum maxima varieties (Mombaza, Tanzania and Zuri). A completely randomized repeated block design with subplots was used, with three treatments and three replications. The cut was made 35 days after harvest to determine crude protein, crude fiber and dry matter. The following results were obtained. The proximal bromatological analysis showed that the highest percentage of protein was obtained by zuri grass (13.44) CP. In the fiber ratio, the one that stood out best was Mombaza grass, which reached (35.20) FC. And the one that obtained the best dry matter percentage was the Zuri variety with (19.95) DM. In the protein-carbohydrate ratio, the Zuri grass achieved the highest yield of CP with 13.44%, while the Mombaza grass in crude fiber with 31.02%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the involvement of the amygdala in a task in which object choices were guided by internal context. Rhesus monkeys were trained on a biconditional discrimination whereby objects associated with food (but not water) were baited when the monkey was hungry, and objects associated with water (but not food) were baited when the monkey was thirsty. To solve this task, monkeys were required to choose objects yielding the reward congruent with their internal motivational state. Lesions of the amygdala did not disrupt learning or performance of this task. We conclude that the involvement of the amygdala in selective-satiation tasks, which depends in part on a change in internal context, is not due to the amygdala playing a general role in representing, or using, internal context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has often been claimed that (i) Aristotle's expression 'protasis' means 'premiss' in syllogistic contexts and (ii) cannot refer to the conclusion of a syllogism in the Prior Analytics. In this essay we produce and defend a counter-example to these two claims. We argue that (i) the basic meaning of the expression is 'proposition' and (ii) while it is often used to refer to the premisses of a syllogism, in Prior Analytics 1.29, 45b4-8 it is used to refer to the conclusion of a syllogism. In our view, the best explanation of Aristotle's use of the expression 'protasis' is that it means proposition throughout but is frequently used without change of meaning (in certain specific contexts) to refer to the premisses from which a conclusion follows. In Prior Analytics 1.29, 45b4-8 he uses 'protasis' to refer to the conclusion when he needs a single expression to refer to both the conclusion and one of the premisses of the syllogism that constitutes the core of a syllogism through the impossible. If we are correct, we have shown that the view that the expression 'the final protasis' in EN 7.3, 1147b9ff must mean 'the final premiss' and so cannot refer to the conclusion of the relevant syllogism is mistaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities are important players in the global development of knowledge economy, alongside being significant contributors to the economic development of their host cities. They are both significant knowledge enterprises and the suppliers of the human and intellectual capital on which the knowledge-based economy depends. What seems under-explored is how deliberative partnerships between universities and city authorities can develop around projects of mutual benefit, especially based on campus development. In this paper, with the help of five case studies (QUT, MIT, Harvard, Twente and Newcastle universities), we investigate how the spatial development of universities can be one of the main meeting points between the city and university and how it can be used for stimulating economic development and managing growth. These cases show that university—city collaborative initiatives focused on the university properties represent a desire to produce creative and competitive new urban spaces, which reinforce the position of the university and the city in global economy. They also show that these developments need to be jointly managed to avoid undesirable impacts on either side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a conceptual framework for mapping cross-community work and projects that have been designed in more recent years to assist the process of reconciliation among young people in the city of Vukovar (Croatia), and to analyze underlying socio-psychological assumptions of these interventions. The nature of initiatives is examined through the prism of some socio-psychological theories and, in particular, through Nadler and Shnabel's (2008) Need-Based Model, Allport's (1954) Contact Hypothesis, and Tajfel and Turner's (1986) Social Identity Theory. This study found that there are serious problems with the manner in which reconciliation has been approached by the local communities in Vukovar. This study aims to explore some socio-psychological factors in the process of reconciliation among young people in Vukovar (Croatia), and the role of civic organizations in promoting inter-group contact and dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term limmûdîm (attested in Isa. 8.16, and then 50.4a, 4c; 54.13) serves as a literary ligature between the messages of the eighth-century prophet in Jerusalem and his descendants who ministered in sixth-century Babylonia. The term further points to the role of the sixth-century prophets as 'students' of the eighth-century master whose role was to transform Isaiah's messages of impending doom that called for repentance into messages of hope at the prospect of redemption. In addition, the limmûdîm within the inter-generational 'school' of Isaiah may be viewed as a subset of the larger 'sons of the prophets' attested as early as the time of Samuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to identify predictors of the choice to abort or deliver a child within 18 months of a previous birth and to compare mothers who chose to abort or deliver relative to substance use and adverse partner behavior. Using a systems perspective, data from the Fragile Families and Well-Being Study were examined. The sample included participants from 16 cities, and within the selected cities, hospitals with high rates of unmarried births were chosen for inclusion in the survey. The data analysis process entailed two steps: 1) predictors of the choice to abort were identified statistically; 2) mothers who chose to abort and deliver were compared relative to heavy drinking, cigarette smoking, and adverse partner behavior after controlling for potentially confounding factors identified in step one. The results indicated that several variables pertaining to the father's commitment to raising a previously born child and to his relationship with the mother predicted the choice to abort. Further, a recent abortion was related to substance use and partner perpetrated physical aggression after the effects of confounding variables were removed.Professionals who work with women from impoverished environments facing an unplanned pregnancy should be encouraged to sensitively explore the woman’s support system. If the father is unavailable, counselors can assist women in identifying other sources of support within and outside the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hippocampus has a well established role in spatial memory, but increasing evidence points to a role in nonspatial aspects of memory. To investigate such a role, six macaque monkeys received a bilateral transection of the fornix to disconnect subcortical inputs and outputs of the hippocampus. An additional six macaque monkeys constituted an unoperated control group. To test the involvement of the hippocampus in nonspatial aspects of memory, both groups were trained postoperatively on four concurrent visual object discrimination problems, each problem having one rewarded object and one unrewarded. After acquisition to criterion of these discriminations, the monkeys learned five subsequent stages of discriminations using the same objects. In each of these stages, both the pairings of objects one with another, and the reward assignments for the objects, were randomly reassigned. In the initial acquisition stage, control and fornix animals were equally proficient in learning the discriminations. In the five reassigned stages, however, monkeys with fornix transection made on average three times as many errors as the controls in learning the discriminations. This impairment was noted even in trials where the reward assignments from the previous stage were maintained in the new stage. These findings are consistent with other recent evidence for a role beyond the spatial domain for the fornix in monkeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article wrestles with the old problem of the true identity of the Philistine giant slawn by David: Is Elhanan and Goliath one and the same, or are we talking about different persons? Why does David select five stones, although, trusting God he only needs one. A rereading of all passages to David's slaying of Philistine giants, show that not only are Goliath and Elhanan two different protagonists of the later King of Israel but three more can be found in a biblical midrashic development of the theme (editor's abstract) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a casual cursory survey of the queries of dependence and influence between Zoroastrianism and biblical religion. The claims for Zoraostrian influence on biblical doctrine have been vastly overstated. Thus, minimalists have made it clear that for them the standard used to evaluate the historical reliability of a biblical story is its verification by an external physical source.

There are different dimensions to the role played by universities in regional innovation. One perspective is to examine the different forms of knowledge and knowledge transfer in the form of commodified knowledge, human capital and social capital. A second perspective is to look at different governance and policy contexts and consider national systems of higher education, national programmes for regional innovation as well as regionally specific interactions. Examples of university engagement in Europe across these different scales are presented. Overall, there is a need for integration and joining up of policies at the regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An efficient and novel solution technique is presented for solving multi-dimensional population balance models. In addition to overcoming stiffness in the original system, the algorithm also reduces the computational load by proposing a priori semi-analytical solutions for a major part of the aggregation quadratures (calculations performed once at the start of the simulation). The new technique gives very good solution times, thereby removing the bottleneck from the computational method in the development of detailed population balance-based models for such complex processes. As the emphasis is on the numerical solution technique, simpler forms of the aggregation kernel are employed in the study. However, these kernels reveal crucial information for the optimization and control of the granulation process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although there is great interest in the new knowledge economy, less favoured regions seem permanently disadvantaged because they lack a critical mass of knowledge capital to initiate accumulation, growth and economic development processes. This is a problem for policy-makers seeking to promote economic growth and territorial cohesion in such regions. Despite this, examples from two such regions, Newcastle, UK and Twente, the Netherlands, suggests that such companies can be very successful. This paper seeks to develop a conceptual model of how university spin-off companies (USOs) can improve their regional economies. The economic benefits that such companies bring are explored, to identify those elements which can potentially upgrade regional economies through knowledge accumulation, which are termed ‘building up territorial knowledge pools’. This paper concludes by developing a conceptual framework for the operation of the territorial knowledge pool; highlighting four different roles played by USOs in improving regional innovation environments and considering the conceptual and policy implications raised by the framework model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were trained preoperatively in a test of object-in-place scene memory. They were presented daily with lists of unique computer-generated scenes each containing a spatial array of multiple individual objects. Within each scene, objects to be discriminated appeared in the foreground, each occupying a unique location, and monkeys were required to correctly discriminate the rewarded object to receive a food reward. Once this preoperative criterion was attained, the monkeys received bilateral entorhinal cortex ablation performed as either one or two surgical operations with a period of testing following each. Postoperatively, they were significantly impaired in learning new object-in-place scene problems. These results show that the entorhinal cortex, like anatomically related structures including the perirhinal cortex and the fornix, contributes to object-in-place scene learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines philosophical principles and arguments on emotion, cognition and action and its implications for psychotherapy. Cognitive therapy in action concerning panic and mood disorders in psychiatric literature; Link between emotion and experience; Spider-phobia and therapy.

Contemporary philosophers have not, at least until very recently, been much concerned with the study of the emotions. It was not always so. The Stoics thought deeply about this topic. Although they were divided on points of detail, they agreed on the broad outline of an account. In itemotions are valuational judgments (or beliefs) and resulting affective states. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Over the past decade governments in the US, as well as in other industrial countries, have experimented with voluntary technology partnership as an alternative style of policy implementation. To examine their efficacy for sustainable technology innovation, we conducted case-study research on two non-regulatory technology-change initiatives, each implemented by the US Department of Energy as public-private partnerships. The first case and the focus of this paper is Clean Cities, a programme designed to stimulate deployment of non-gasoline, non-diesel automobiles. The second case, used to expand and extend insights from the first, is Building America, a programme designed to stimulate more sustainable housing design and construction. Both cases reinforce the perception that voluntary partnerships can contribute to technology transitions. However, their unconventional structures pose new obstacles for technology management and programme evaluation. Specifically, partnership requires the added step of learning what partners can and will contribute. Even in government programmes, there may be no agent with enough power to dictate the rules of participation, and, as a result, fluxes in partners can subject a programme's technology plan to ongoing revision. Unless concerted effort is made to develop information infrastructure robust enough to evaluate outcomes more than anecdotally, ephemeral participation also easily undermines the co-ordinated data collection necessary to assess technology outcomes or the processes attempted to effect them. Thus, partnerships and the data gaps that ensue from them pose new problems both for ongoing management and for summative evaluation of technology change. Their allure rests on the democratic belief that decentralised authority and mutual consent, in combination with flexible mechanisms for pooling resources, can improve goal setting and joint action among stakeholders. Although we do not directly disagree with this normative claim, our lesson here is that partnerships as technology-change programmes introduce new co-ordination and informational obstacles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over four experiments based on the delayed matching-to-sample task, fornix-transected and normal control monkeys were presented with a sequence of five sample stimuli and then received intermixed within-session recency (WSR) and between-session recency (BSR) tests in experiment 1, only BSR tests in experiment 2, only absolute novelty (AN) tests in experiment 3, or only WSR tests in experiment 4. In WSR tests, monkeys chose which of two samples had occurred more recently in the immediately preceding sequence. In BSR and AN tests, monkeys were required to choose one sample from the immediately preceding sequence in preference to a foil unseen in the present session (BSR) or an AN foil that had never been presented before. When tests of WSR and BSR were intermixed (experiment 1), fornix monkeys performed below the level of the control monkeys in both types of test, although this difference was not statistically significant. In experiment 2, fornix monkeys were significantly impaired on tests of BSR alone, in which memory for a stimulus presented in an immediately preceding sequence could compete with memory for a foil presented in an earlier training session. In tests of AN (experiment 3); fornix monkeys performed at the same level as control animals in distinguishing a previously experienced stimulus from a previously unseen foil. In experiment 4, fornix transection significantly impaired tests of WSR alone. Taken together, these results suggest that one specialized role of the fornix is to process temporal information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In macaque monkeys (Macaca mulatta), memory for scenes presented on touch screens is fornix dependent. However, scene learning is not a purely spatial task, and existing direct evidence for a fornix role in spatial memory comes exclusively from tasks involving learning about food-reward locations. Here the authors demonstrate that fornix transection impairs learning about spatial stimuli presented on touch screens. Using a new concurrent spatial discrimination learning task, they found that fornix transection did not impair recall of preoperatively learned problems. Relearning, on the other hand, was mildly impaired, and new learning was strongly impaired. New learning of smaller sets of harder problems was also markedly impaired, as was spatial configural learning. This pattern supports a functional specialization according to stimulus domain in the medial temporal lobe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A computationally efficient solution technique is presented for population balance models accounting for nucleation, growth and coagulation (aggregation) (with extensions for breakage). In contrast to earlier techniques, this technique is not based on approximating the population balance equation, but is based on employing individual rates of nucleation, growth and coagulation to update the PSD in a hierarchical framework. The method is comprised of two steps. The first step is the calculation of the rates of nucleation, growth and coagulation by solving an appropriate system of equations. This information is then used in the second step to update the PSD. The method effectively decomposes the fast and the slow kinetics, thereby eliminating the stiffness in the solution. In solving the coagulation kernel, a semi-analytical solution strategy is adapted, which substantially reduces the computational requirement, but also ensures the consistency of properties such as the number and mass of particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]