Search

Background and purpose: Acetabular fractures in osteoporotic bone are associated with substantial joint impaction and comminution, previously shown to be prognostic for a poor result. A combined procedure of open reduction, internal fixation (ORIF), and total hip arthroplasty (THA) can be a good option, allowing for immediate weightbearing as tolerated. We report short- to medium-term outcome and complications of the results of patients treated with this combined procedure. Methods: 48 cases treated with ORIF and acute THA from 2000 to 2019 were identified from our local pelvic fracture registry, from which follow-up data was extracted. Descriptive statistics were used and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were calculated. Primary outcome was HHS at 1 year. Secondary outcomes were implant survival, complications requiring surgery, and mortality at 3 months. Results: There were 37 men and 11 women treated in the study period. Mean age was 68 (37–87) years. 6 patients died within 3 months of surgery, leaving 42 cases available for follow-up. Mean follow-up (FU) was 2.8 (1–16) years. The most common mechanism of injury was fall from standing height (n = 36). Medical comorbidities were common. Mean Harris Hip Score (HHS) was 83 (51–100) at 1-year follow-up. There were 7 reoperations: 6 for postoperative infection and 1 closed reduction of implant dislocation. 38 had their implant intact at latest FU. At the latest FU, 28 patients were ambulatory without a walking aid. Conclusion: Our results indicate that ORIF and acute THA can be performed with good functional results in patients with unreconstructable displaced acetabular fractures, but with a significant risk of infection and revision.

Abstract Bovine tuberculosis is an infectious disease of global significance that remains endemic in many countries. Mycobacterium bovis infection in cattle is characterized by a cell-mediated immune response (CMI) that precedes humoral responses, however the timing and trajectories of CMI and antibody responses determined by newer generation assays remain undefined. Here we used defined-antigen interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) and an eleven-antigen multiplex ELISA (Enferplex TB test) alongside traditional tuberculin-based IGRA and IDEXX M. bovis antibody tests to assess immune trajectories following experimental M. bovis infection of cattle. The results show CMI responses developed as early as two-weeks post-infection, with all infected cattle testing positive three weeks post-infection. Interestingly, 6 of 8 infected animals were serologically positive with the Enferplex TB assay as early as 4 weeks post-infection. As expected, application of the tuberculin skin test enhanced subsequent serological reactivity. Infrequent M. bovis faecal shedding was observed but was uncorrelated with observed immune trajectories. Together, the results show that early antibody responses to M. bovis infection are detectable in some individuals and highlight an urgent need to identify biomarkers that better predict infection outcomes, particularly for application in low-and-middle income countries where test-and-slaughter based control methods are largely unfeasible.

The Omicron strains of SARS-CoV-2 pose a significant challenge to the development of effective antibody-based treatments as immune evasion has compromised most available immune therapeutics. Therefore, in the ‘arms race’ with the virus, there is a continuing need to identify new biologics for the prevention or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Here, we report the isolation of nanobodies that bind to the Omicron BA.1 spike protein by screening nanobody phage display libraries previously generated from llamas immunized with either the Wuhan or Beta spike proteins. The structure and binding properties of three of these nanobodies (A8, H6 and B5-5) have been characterized in detail providing insight into their binding epitopes on the Omicron spike protein. Trimeric versions of H6 and B5-5 neutralized the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern BA.5 both in vitro and in the hamster model of COVID-19 following nasal administration. Thus, either alone or in combination could serve as starting points for the development of new anti-viral immunotherapeutics.

Bovine tuberculosis is usually diagnosed using tuberculin skin tests or at post-mortem. Recently, we have developed a serological test for bovine tuberculosis in cattle which shows a high degree of accuracy using serum samples. Here, we have assessed the performance of the test using individual bovine milk samples. The diagnostic specificity estimate using the high sensitivity setting of the test was 99.7% (95% CI: 99.2-99.9). This estimate was not altered significantly by tuberculin boosting. The relative sensitivity estimates of the test using the high sensitivity setting in milk samples from comparative skin test positive animals was 90.8% (95% CI: 87.1-93.6) with boosting. In animals with lesions, the relative sensitivity was 96.0% (95% CI: 89.6-98.7). Analysis of paired serum and milk samples from skin test positive animals showed correlation coefficients ranging from 0.756-0.955 for individual antigens used in the test. Kappa analysis indicated almost perfect agreement between serum and milk results, while McNemar marginal homogeneity analysis showed no statistically significant differences between the two media. The positive and negative likelihood ratio were 347.8 (95% CI: 112.3-1077.5) and 0.092 (95% CI: 0.07-0.13) respectively for boosted samples from skin test positive animals. The results show that the test has high sensitivity and specificity in individual milk samples and thus milk samples could be used for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis.

Abstract Bovine tuberculosis is a contagious bacterial disease of worldwide economic, zoonotic and welfare importance caused mainly by Mycobacterium bovis infection. Current regulatory diagnostic methods lack sensitivity and require improvement. We have developed a multiplex serological test for bovine tuberculosis and here we provide an estimate of the diagnostic accuracy of the test in cattle. Positive and negative reference serum samples were obtained from animals from Europe and the United States of America. The diagnostic specificity estimate was 98.4% and 99.7% using high sensitivity and high specificity settings of the test respectively. Tuberculin boosting did not affect the overall specificity estimate. The diagnostic sensitivity in samples from Mycobacterium bovis culture positive animals following tuberculin boosting was 93.9%.The relative sensitivity following boosting in tuberculin test positive, lesion positive animals and interferon gamma test positive, lesion positive animals was 97.2% and 96.9% respectively. In tuberculin test negative, lesion positive animals and in interferon gamma test negative, lesion positive animals, the relative sensitivity following tuberculin boosting was 88.2% and 83.6% respectively. The results show that the test has high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and can detect infected animals that are missed by tuberculin and interferon gamma testing.

Digital transformation has far-reaching effects on business and society. While the literature to date has mainly considered the positive opportunities associated with digital innovations at the consumer interface in terms of products and services, the impact on asset-intensive organisations has not yet been examined in detail. Because asset-intensive organisations have unique requirements, a focused approach is essential. This study provided an in-depth analysis of digital transformation efforts in asset-intensive organisations by interviewing elite informants in the field. Our results provide an explanatory model for the digital transformation of asset-intensive organisations from a dynamic process perspective. Our results also allowed us to uncover the dark side of digital transformation, and we theorise on its implications.

Understanding the role of neutral atoms in the heliospheric interface (between the bow shock and heliopause) is critical to identifying dynamics within our local bubble. This article recommends building upon existing measurements with new, high-spectral resolution observations of H Lyman-α, from a heliospheric mapping mission, to resolve the momentum exchange in reactions between the solar wind and energetic neutral atoms that are key to identifying the most important heliospheric processes.

This study addressed the need in Great Britain for supplementary blood tests for deer and pig herds under movement restrictions due to confirmed Mycobacterium bovis infection—to enhance the overall sensitivity and reliability of tuberculosis (TB) testing and contribute to an exit strategy for these herds. We evaluated four antibody tests (lateral flow DPP VetTB Assay for Cervids, M. bovis IDEXX ELISA, Enferplex Cervid and Porcine antibody tests and an in-house comparative PPD ELISA) using serum samples from defined cohorts of TB-infected and TB-free deer and pigs. TB-infected deer included two separate cohorts; farmed deer that had received a tuberculin skin test less than 30 days prior, and park deer that had received no prior skin test. In this way, we were able to assess the effect of the skin test anamnestic boost upon antibody test sensitivity. We tested a total of 402 TB-free pigs and 416 TB-free deer, 77 infected farmed deer and 105 infected park deer, and 29 infected pigs (including 2 wild boar). For deer, we found an equivalent high performance of all four tests: specificity range 98.8–99.5% and sensitivity range 76.6–85.7% for skin test-boosted infected deer, and 51.4–58.1% for non-boosted infected deer. These data suggest an overall approximate 25% increase in test sensitivity for infected deer following a skin test boost. For pigs, the tests again had equivalent high specificity of 99–99.5% and a sensitivity range of 62.1–86.2%, with substantial agreement for three of the four tests. Retrospective application of the ELISA tests to individual culled park deer and wild boar that showed no obvious evidence of TB at larder inspection identified a significant seropositivity within wild boar suggestive of low-level M. bovis infection that would otherwise not have been detected. Overall this investigation provided a robust evaluation of four antibody tests, which is essential to generate confidence in test performance before a wider deployment within TB control measures can be considered.

Abstract Background Poor diet and lack of physical activity are strongly linked to non-communicable disease risk, but modifying them is challenging. There is increasing recognition that adolescence is an important time to intervene; habits formed during this period tend to last, and physical and psychological changes during adolescence make it an important time to help individuals form healthier habits. Improving adolescents’ health behaviours is important not only for their own health now and in adulthood, but also for the health of any future children. Building on LifeLab—an existing, purpose-built educational facility at the University of Southampton—we have developed a multi-component intervention for secondary school students called Engaging Adolescents in Changing Behaviour (EACH-B) that aims to motivate and support adolescents to eat better and be more physically active. Methods A cluster randomised controlled trial is being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the EACH-B intervention. The primary outcomes of the intervention are self-reported dietary quality and objectively measured physical activity (PA) levels, both assessed at baseline and at 12-month follow-up. The EACH-B intervention consists of three linked elements: professional development for teachers including training in communication skills to support health behaviour change; the LifeLab educational module comprising in-school teaching of nine science lessons linked to the English National Curriculum and a practical day visit to the LifeLab facility; and a personalised digital intervention that involves social support and game features that promote eating better and being more active. Both the taught module and the LifeLab day are designed with a focus on the science behind the messages about positive health behaviours, such as diet and PA, for the adolescents now, in adulthood and their future offspring, with the aim of promoting personal plans for change. The EACH-B research trial aims to recruit approximately 2300 secondary school students aged 12–13 years from 50 schools (the clusters) from Hampshire and neighbouring counties. Participating schools will be randomised to either the control or intervention arm. The intervention will be run during two academic years, with continual recruitment of schools throughout the school year until the sample size is reached. The schools allocated to the control arm will receive normal schooling but will be offered the intervention after data collection for the trial is complete. An economic model will be developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of the EACH-B intervention compared with usual schooling. Discussion Adolescents’ health needs are often ignored and they can be difficult to engage in behaviour change. Building a cheap, sustainable way of engaging them in making healthier choices will benefit their long-term health and that of their future children. Trial registration ISRCTN 74109264 . Registered on 30 August 2019. EACH-B is a cluster randomised controlled trial, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (RP-PG-0216-20004).

Librarians are continuously looking for new ways to make the training they offer accessible and engaging to both colleagues and users. One area where this is especially important is copyright – a topic many librarians identify as vital to their role, but they often find it hard to attend training. Cambridge University Libraries has introduced a range of methods to reach out to even the most reluctant copyright learner and improve the overall copyright literacy of its staff. This article showcases these methods in the form of ‘life hacks’ – simple measures which can be implemented with little or no cost and using existing resources. Methods outlined include making the best use of knowledge already present within your organisation, using visual methods to attract a new audience and creating interactive online resources. Also discussed is the importance of making copyright training accessible, both to users with disabilities and those who may have constraints on their time and technological ability. The article concludes with a reflection about the challenges faced whilst creating new resources. The techniques outlined in this case study can be adapted for use by a range of libraries no matter the target audience.

AimsInflammation is a hallmark of cancer whose activity is modulated within the tumor microenvironment by low tumoral pH. Recent evidence in the literature has suggested a link between low serum bicarbonate, low tumoral pH and cancer related inflammation. There is however little clinical evidence in human patients regarding the prognostic role of serum bicarbonate. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the short and long-term prognostic utility of serum bicarbonate in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients undergoing resection of their primary tumor. The study also aimed to investigate the association of serum bicarbonate with known markers of systemic inflammation.MethodsA total of 3281 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection of their primary CRC from January 1998 to December 2012. Of these, 2223 stage I-IV patients had available data for analysis. The association of serum bicarbonate with overall survival was assessed using univariate and multivariate cox regression analyses. The association of bicarbonate with other clinicopathological variables was assessed by chi squared and Fisher's exact tests.ResultsSerum bicarbonate was associated with peri-operative mortality in multivariate analysis (pConclusionsIn peri-operative colorectal cancer patients, serum bicarbonate was associated with 30-day survival but not 5-year survival.

BackgroundIn spite of demonstrating prognostic and possibly predictive benefit in retrospective cohorts and meta-analyses of cancer populations, including colorectal cancer (CRC), prospective evaluation of the relationship between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and treatment outcomes in previously untreated mCRC patients receiving bevacizumab-based therapy has not yet been performed.MethodsAn open-label, single arm, multi-centre study. Patients received first-line bevacizumab plus XELOX or mFOLFOX6 (Phase-A) and continued bevacizumab plus FOLFIRI beyond first progression (Phase-B). Analyses included the association of NLR with phase A progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). A sub-study investigated the safety in patients with the primary in situ tumor. An exploratory sub-study examined relationships of circulating proteomic markers with PFS.ResultsPhase-A enrolled 128 patients; median age was 64 years (range: 26-84), 70 (55%) were female, 71 (56%) were PS-0 and 51 (40%) had primary in situ tumor. Fifty-three (41%) patients entered Phase-B. The median baseline (b) NLR was 3.2 (range: 1.5-20.4) with 32 (25%) patients having bNLR > 5. The PFS hazard ratio (HR) by bNLR > 5 versus ≤ 5 was 1.4 (95% CI: 0.9-2.2; p = 0.101). The median PFS was 9.2 months (95% CI: 7.9-10.8) for Phase-A and 6.7 months (95% CI: 3.0-8.2) for Phase-B. The HR for OS based on bNLR > 5 versus ≤ 5 was 1.6 (95% CI: 1.0-2.7; p = 0.052). The median OS was 25 months (95% CI: 19.2-29.7) for the full analysis set and 14.9 months for Phase-B. Baseline levels of nine proteomic markers showed a relationship with PFS. Treatment related toxicities were consistent with what has previously been published. There were 4 (3%) instances of GI perforation, of which, 3 (6%) occurred in the primary in situ tumor group.ConclusionsResults from this study are aligned with the previously reported trend towards worse PFS and OS in patients with higher bNLR.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01588990; posted May 1, 2012.

Abstract The reversal of the Rett syndrome disease process in the Mecp2 mouse model of Guy et al. (2007) has motivated families and researchers to work on this condition. The reversibility in adult mice suggests that there is potentially much to be gained from rational treatments applied to patients of any age. However, it may be difficult to strike the right balance between enthusiasm on the one hand and realism on the other. One effect of this has been a fragmentation of the “Rett syndrome community” with some groups giving priority to work aimed at a cure while fewer resources are devoted to medical or therapy-based interventions to enhance the quality of life of affected patients or provide support for their families. Several possible therapeutic approaches are under development that, it is claimed and hoped, may lead to a “cure” for patients with Rett syndrome. While all have a rationale, there are potential obstacles to each being both safe and effective. Furthermore, any strategy that succeeded in restoring normal levels of MECP2 gene expression throughout the brain carries potential pitfalls, so that it will be of crucial importance to introduce any clinical trials of such therapies with great care. Expectations of families for a radical, rational treatment should not be inflated beyond a cautious optimism. This is particularly because affected patients with us now may not be able to reap the full benefits of a “cure”. Thus, interventions aimed at enhancing the quality of life of affected patients should not be forgone and their importance should not be minimised.

Introduction Survivors of critical illness often experience significant morbidities, including muscle weakness and impairments in physical functioning. This muscle weakness is associated with longer duration mechanical ventilation, greater hospital costs and increased postdischarge impairments in physical function, quality of life and survival. Compared with standard of care, the benefits of greater protein intake combined with structured exercise started early after the onset of critical illness remain uncertain. However, the combination of protein supplementation and exercise in other populations has demonstrated positive effects on strength and function. In the present study, we will evaluate the effects of a combination of early implementation of intravenous amino acid supplementation and in-bed cycle ergometry exercise versus a ‘usual care’ control group in patients with acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit (ICU).Methods and analysis In this multicentre, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial, we will randomise 142 patients in a 1:1 ratio to usual care (which commonly consists of minimal exercise and under-achievement of guideline-recommended caloric and protein intake goals) versus a combined intravenous amino acid supplementation and in-bed cycle ergometery exercise intervention. We hypothesise that this novel combined intervention will (1) improve physical functioning at hospital discharge; (2) reduce muscle wasting with improved amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis in-hospital and (3) improve patient-reported outcomes and healthcare resource utilisation at 6 months after enrolment. Key cointerventions will be standardised. In-hospital outcome assessments will be conducted at baseline, ICU discharge and hospital discharge. An intent-to-treat analysis will be used to analyse all data with additional per-protocol analyses.Ethics and dissemination The trial received ethics approval at each institution and enrolment has begun. These results will inform both clinical practice and future research in the area. We plan to disseminate trial results in peer-reviewed journals, at national and international conferences, and via nutritional and rehabilitation-focused electronic education and knowledge translation platforms.Trial registration number NCT03021902; Pre-results.

A central issue in the reform of welfare systems concerns the citizenship relationship. Citizenship is critical in three ways: • It has been the focus of political struggles to redraw the boundaries of citizenship: who counts as a citizen? • It has been the focus of reforms seeking to redraw the balance of ‘rights and responsibilities’ between the state and the citizen, making citizenship more conditional; and • It remains the focus of desires and demands for support and solidarity. Drawing on recent collaborative research with advice agencies (Citizens Advice in the UK), I explore how citizenship is imagined and practiced in different settings – from the policing of nationality to state welfare – contrasting the growing conditionality and exclusiveness of state-centric definitions with alternative imaginaries that celebrate expansive and horizontal forms of identification.

BackgroundRecent literature has suggested that tumor sidedness in colorectal cancer (CRC) is an independent prognostic and potentially predictive marker of survival. The aims of the study were to determine the prognostic significance of tumor sidedness in colorectal cancer patients undergoing primary tumor resection and to assess associated tumor biology.MethodsA total of 3281 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection of their primary CRC from January 1998 to December 2012 were analyzed for association with tumor biologic factors and with overall survival. Metastatic patients were excluded from analysis.ResultsLeft sided CRCs were associated with a number of additional key prognostic markers including BRAFV600E wildtype status (PConclusionsTumor sidedness was not an independent prognostic marker of CRC. However, right sided CRCs were associated with several key independent prognostic markers supporting a hypothesis that tumor sidedness is a surrogate for other biomarkers.

Scalable quantum information processing requires controllable high-coherence qubits. Here, the authors present superconducting flux qubits with broad frequency tunability, strong anharmonicity and high reproducibility, identifying photon shot noise as the main source of dephasing for further improvements.

Background and purpose — Recent research on outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has raised the question of the ability of traditional outcome measures to distinguish between treatments. We compared functional outcomes in patients undergoing TKA with and without patellar resurfacing, using the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) as the primary outcome and 3 traditional outcome measures as secondary outcomes. Patients and methods — 129 knees in 115 patients (mean age 70 (42–82) years; 67 female) were evaluated in this single-center, randomized, double-blind study. Data were recorded preoperatively, at 1 year, and at 3 years, and were assessed using repeated-measures mixed models. Results — The mean subscores for the KOOS after surgery were statistically significantly in favor of patellar resurfacing: sport/recreation, knee-related quality of life, pain, and symptoms. No statistically significant differences between the groups were observed with the Knee Society clinical rating system, with the Oxford knee score, and with visual analog scale (VAS) for patient satisfaction. Interpretation — In the present study, the KOOS—but no other outcome measure used—indicated that patellar resurfacing may be beneficial in TKA.

IntroductionIndividuals with diabetes are at increased risk for complications, including gastroparesis. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disorder resulting in decreased beta-cell function. Glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 antibody (GADA) is the most commonly used test to assess autoimmunity while C-peptide level is used to assess beta-cell function. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), who are GADA positive, are labeled latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA).ObjectiveTo characterize patients with T1 and T2DM who have symptoms of gastroparesis using GADA and C-peptide levels and to look for association with the presence of gastroparesis and its symptom severity.Design113 T1DM and 90 T2DM patients with symptoms suggestive of gastroparesis were studied. Symptom severity was assessed using Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI). Serum samples were analyzed for GADA and C-peptide.ResultsDelayed gastric emptying was present in 91 (81%) of T1DM and 60 (67%) of T2DM patients (p = 0.04). GADA was present in 13% of T2DM subjects [10% in delayed gastric emptying and 20% in normal gastric emptying (p = 0.2)]. Gastric retention and GCSI scores were mostly similar in GADA positive and negative T2DM patients. GADA was present in 45% of T1DM subjects [46% in delayed gastric emptying and 41% in normal gastric emptying (p = 0.81)]. Low C-peptide levels were seen in 79% T1DM patients and 8% T2DM. All seven T2DM patients with low C-peptide were taking insulin compared to 52% of T2DM with normal C-peptide.ConclusionGADA was present in 13% while low C-peptide was seen in 8% of our T2DM patients with symptoms of gastroparesis. Neither did correlate with degree of delayed gastric emptying or symptom severity.ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierNCT01696747.

The Invited Panel Session at the inaugural STARS Conference concluded the formal presentations for the event. At this session, invited STARS from the tertiary sector shared with delegates their personal thoughts concerning the messages and insights gained from the conference experience. The Panel Session also provided delegates with the opportunity to respond and share their views in order to consolidate learnings. Delegates were challenged to give thought to their intended activities and actions in their own settings based on their experiences at the conference. For the purposes of this feature, the editors have summarised and edited the transcript to present the key points of each discussion, including questions and comments from delegates. Panel members have approved the authors’ interpretations of their comments.

This introduction to the special issue on Working the Boundaries of Law provides a context for the papers collected here. It locates the papers in a colloquium held in Oñati to discuss issues around this theme. It traces the significance of borders and boundaries as sites of social practice and considers how the boundaries of law are constructed and contested. The introduction then explores the sorts of practices – or labour – that go on at these boundaries – to maintain, challenge and traverse them. It points in particular to boundaries as sites of translation and emotional labour. Finally, it briefly introduces the papers that follow. Esta introducción al número especial Working the Boundaries of Law proporciona un contexto para los artículos que forman el número. Ubica los artículos en un coloquio que tuvo lugar en Oñati para debatir asuntos relacionados con el tema principal. Rastrea el significado de los límites y las fronteras como lugares de práctica social, y considera cómo se construyen y se contestan los límites de la legalidad. Después, esta introducción explora el tipo de prácticas -o trabajos- que suceden en estos límites -para mantenerlos, desafiarlos y atravesarlos. En particular, apunta a los límites como lugares de conversión y de gestión de las emociones. Por último, presenta brevemente los artículos que siguen. DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=3062565

This issue is our third Students, Transitions, Achievement, Retention and Success (STARS) Conference special issue held in July this year in Adelaide, Australia. As is customary, this issue of the journal publishes the top research papers selected via a peer review process and the top Emerging Initiatives selected by the Conference Committee. We are delighted to feature in this special issue —Reflections on Student Persistence—prepared by Advisory Board member Professor Vincent Tinto, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Syracuse University, USA. Vincent is a long-time friend and supporter of STARS and its predecessor FYHE Conferences and Journal. In his article, Vincent explores the case for motivation to be considered as a significant aspect of the tertiary student psyche by drawing on theoretical frameworks, research and practical experiences related to the issue.

Welcome to the first issue of Student Success for 2017. Following the tradition initiated in Volume 7, this editorial has two parts: The first part continues our objective of creating awareness of good practice in scholarly publishing in an Open Access (OA) forum. Future editorials will briefly discuss other aspects and issues pertaining to the evolving scholarly publishing landscape that this journal adheres to, such as: Creative Commons Licencing; Considerations of new peer review models and importantly; Measuring research impact in OA publishing. The second part presents the usual editorial summary of the content of this issue.

To determine the separate effects of exercise amount and intensity on the rate of response for glucose and insulin variables, where rate of response was defined as the number of individuals with improvement in glucose and insulin values that was beyond the day-to-day variability of measurement.Participants were 171 sedentary, middle-aged abdominally obese adults who completed a 24-week intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to (1) no-exercise control (n = 51), (2) low-amount, low-intensity exercise (LALI, n = 38), (3) high-amount, low-intensity exercise (HALI, n = 52), or (4) high-amount, high-intensity exercise (HAHI, n = 30). Two-hour glucose, insulin area under the curve (AUC), and fasting insulin were measured during a 2-hour, 75g oral glucose challenge. The day-to-day variability for these measures was calculated to be ±2.2 mmol/L, ±940.2 pmol/L, and ±38.9 pmol/L, respectively.At 24 weeks, the number of nonresponders for 2-hr glucose was 98.0%, 86.8%, 94.2%, 86.7% in the control, LALI, HALI, and HAHI groups, respectively. The number of nonresponders for insulin AUC was 88.0%, 75.7%, 75.0%, 80.0% in the control, LALI, HALI, and HAHI groups, respectively. The number of nonresponders for fasting insulin was 88.2%, 84.2%, 84.6%, 93.3% in the control, LALI, HALI, and HAHI groups, respectively. The rate of response was not different between control and any of the exercise groups for any measure (p>0.05).The improvement in glucose and insulin measures did not exceed the day-to-day variability of measurement for approximately 80% of the participants independent of exercise amount or intensity.

In 2011, Richard James wrote in the Foreword to Nelson, Clarke, Kift, and Creagh’s (2012) monograph on Australasian literature on the First Year Experience that:The trend towards universal participation will usher in dramatic changes in the character of the first year in higher education. … (p. iii)In an interview at the University of Melbourne, Australia in July 2013 between Richard James and John Clarke, Co-editor of the International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, these and related issues were explored. The interview picks up where the Foreword left off: focussing on universal participation.

This article explores three different inflections of the idea of economy: imagined, real and moral. Each offers a distinctive way of thinking about economies and each raises the possibility of providing critical purchase on the formations of ’actually existing capitalisms’. The article begins from the idea of imagined economies given the proliferation of such imaginaries, not least in the wake of the financial crisis. In political, public and policy discourse, economies have become the focus of intense fantasy and projection. The resulting imaginaries underpin a range of economic, public and social policies. Importantly, they articulate a foundational distinction between economic and other sorts of policy. The idea of imag-ined economies opens the space for a certain type of critical engagement with contemporary political economy. In a rather different way, ideas of the ’real economy’ have also been the site of critical work - distinguishing between ’real’ relations and practices involved in the production of material objects (and value) in the contrast with virtual, digital, financialised economies. This article treats the ’real economy’ as one further instance of an imagined economy. Like the concept of the ’real economy’, E.P. Thompson’s exploration of a ’moral economy’ also offers a standpoint from which critical analysis of the current economic, political and social disintegrations might be constructed. Thompson’s articulation of a moment in which collective understandings of economies as fields of moral relationships and obligations dramatises the contemporary de-socialization of economies, even if it may be harder to imagine twentieth and twenty first century capitalisms as moral economies that the current crisis has disrupted. Again, the article treats ’moral economies’ as another form of imagined economy, in part to make visible the shifting and contested character of what counts as ’economic’.

Analytics is a field of research and practice that aims to reveal new patterns of information through the aggregation of large sets of data held in previously distinct sources drawing on a number of informing disciplines. This feature details observations sought on learning analytics from two specialists in the field. Shane Dawson, Deputy Director, Academic Learning Services, University of South Australia, along with Phil Long, Director, Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology, University of Queensland have contributed to a wide-ranging discussion on some of the issues and challenges related to Learning Analytics in higher education in general, and also in relation to its application to first year students and their staff.

Many arable lands have accumulated large reserves of residual phosphorus (P) and a relatively large proportion of soil P is less available for uptake by plants. Root released organic anions are widely documented as a key physiological strategy to enhance P availability, while limited information has been generated on the contribution of rhizosphere organic anions to P utilization by crops grown in agricultural soils that are low in available P and high in extractable Ca, Al and Fe. We studied the role of rhizosphere organic anions in P uptake from residual P in four common crops Triticum aestivum, Avena sativa, Solanum tuberosum and Brassica napus in low- and high-P availability agricultural soils from long-term fertilization field trials in a mini-rhizotron experiment with four replications. Malate was generally the dominant organic anion. More rhizosphere citrate was detected in low P soils than in high P soil. Brassica napus showed 74-103% increase of malate in low P loam, compared with clay loam. Avena sativa had the greatest rhizosphere citrate concentration in all soils (5.3-15.2 mol g-1 root DW). Avena sativa also showed the highest level of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (36% and 40%), the greatest root mass ratio (0.51 and 0.66) in the low-P clay loam and loam respectively, and the greatest total P uptake (5.92 mg P/mini-rhizotron) in the low-P loam. Brassica napus had 15-44% more rhizosphere APase activity, ~0.1-0.4 units lower rhizosphere pH than other species, the greatest increase in rhizosphere water-soluble P in the low-P soils, and the greatest total P uptake in the low-P clay loam. Shoot P content was mainly explained by rhizosphere APase activity, water-soluble P and pH within low P soils across species. Within species, P uptake was mainly linked to rhizosphere water soluble P, APase and pH in low P soils. The effects of rhizosphere organic anions varied among species and they appeared to play minor roles in improving P availability and uptake.

The continuing interest and commitment to improving the student experience in the tertiary sector was reflected in yet another successful Students, Transitions, Achievement, Retention and Success (STARS) Conference recently held in Perth, Western Australia (June 29-July 2, 2016). As is customary, this issue of the journal publishes the top research papers selected via a peer review process and the top Emerging Initiatives selected by the Conference Committee. As well, a Good Practice Report was selected for this issue. The Invited Feature in this issue republishes an article from Professor Sally Kift, President of the Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows (and one of the Editors of Student Success). The statement draws on and is representative of the national reaction to the closure of the OLT, highlighting the substantial role it has played in developing and disseminating innovation and good practice in tertiary teaching and learning.

Welcome to Volume 7 of Student Success. This editorial has two parts: The first part maintains the “doing things differently” tradition, making readers aware by chronicling the publishing of the journal in an open access (OA) forum. Future editorials will briefly discuss other aspects and issues pertaining to the new scholarly publishing landscape that this journal adheres to, such as: Creative Commons Licencing; ORCID IDs; considerations of new peer review models and importantly; measuring research impact in OA publishing. The second part presents the usual editorial summary of the content of this issue.

Background and study aims: Although peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is being performed more frequently, the learning curve for gastroenterologists performing the procedure has not been well studied. The aims of this study were to define the learning curve for POEM and determine which preoperative and intraoperative factors predict the time that will be taken to complete the procedure and its different steps. Patients and methods: Consecutive patients who underwent POEM performed by a single expert gastroenterologist for the treatment of achalasia or spastic esophageal disorders were included. The POEM procedure was divided into four steps: mucosal entry, submucosal tunneling, myotomy, and closure. Nonlinear regression was used to determine the POEM learning plateau and calculate the learning rate. Results: A total of 60 consecutive patients underwent POEM in an endoscopy suite. The median length of procedure (LOP) was 88 minutes (range 36 – 210), and the mean (± standard deviation [SD]) LOP per centimeter of myotomy was 9 ± 5 minutes. The total operative time decreased significantly as experience increased (P