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Previous explanations on China's counterterrorism strategy have highlighted the results of China's strategy of repression in Xinjiang, the historical antecedents and institutional foundations of its counterterrorism policies, as well as international and domestic sources of China's counterterrorism strategy. While acknowledging the importance of all these dimensions, this article draws attention to a largely neglected feature of China's counterterrorism strategy: the Chinese party-state's social engineering of Xinjiang. Building on Maoist-era practices such as the mass line and the 'friend vs. enemy' binary, the Communist party under Xi Jinping has integrated surveillance technologies as part of its strategy of preventive counterterrorism and 'de-extremization'. This article argues that the Chinese party-state's embrace of modern technologies, a weak liberal tradition in China, Xi Jinping's rise to power in late 2012, and the appointment of Chen Quanguo as Xinjiang's party-secretary in 2016, provides the socio-political background for the intensification of securitization, surveillance and introduction of 're-education and training centres' in Xinjiang. Surveillance technologies now complement collective, face-to-face methods of surveillance and Maoist-era techniques of mass mobilization, enabling the Chinese party-state to govern and manage the biopolitical spaces of Uyghurs with greater intensity, according to the state's precise norms. The legalization and institutionalization of 'de-extremization' has also led to the shift from mass 'de-extremization' propaganda to 'drip-irrigation' ideological and political re-education of individuals deemed at risk of extremism. The result is an increased capacity by the Chinese party-state to surveil and control the region, and to more effectively negate the possibility of individual resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background National and international guidelines recommend the use of effective vascular access (VA) and infection prevention and control practices within the haemodialysis environment. Establishing an arterio-venous fistula (AVF) and preventing central venous catheter (CVC)-related infections are ongoing challenges for all dialysis settings. We surveyed VA and routine infection prevention and control practices in dialysis units, to provide national data on these practices in Ireland. Methods A descriptive survey was emailed to nurse managers at all adult (n = 19) and children (n = 1) outpatient haemodialysis units in the Republic of Ireland. Data collected included AVF formation, CVC insertion and maintenance practices, VA use and surveillance of infection and screening protocols. Nineteen of the 20 units responded to the survey. Results The AVF prevalence was 49% for 1370 patients in 17 units who provided these data [mean prevalence per unit: 45.7% (SD 16.2)]; the CVC mean prevalence per unit was 52.5% (SD 16.0). Fourteen dialysis units experienced inadequate access to vascular surgical procedures either due to a lack of dedicated theatre time or hospital beds. Six units administered intravenous prophylactic antimicrobials prior to CVC insertion with only two units using a CVC insertion checklist at the time of catheter insertion. Conclusion In general, dialysis units in Ireland show a strong adherence to national guidelines. Compared with the 12 countries participating in the Dialysis Outcomes Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS 4), in 2010, AVF prevalence in Irish dialysis units is the second lowest. Recommendations include establishing an AVF national prevalence target rate, discontinuing the administration of intravenous prophylactic antimicrobials prior to CVC insertion and promoting the use of CVC insertion checklists. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As a more complete picture of the clinical phenotype of Parkinsons disease emerges, non-motor symptoms have become increasingly studied. Prominent among these non-motor phenomena are mood disturbance, cognitive decline and dementia, sleep disorders, hyposmia and autonomic failure. In addition, visual symptoms are common, ranging from complaints of dry eyes and reading difficulties, through to perceptual disturbances (feelings of presence and passage) and complex visual hallucinations. Such visual symptoms are a considerable cause of morbidity in Parkinsons disease and, with respect to visual hallucinations, are an important predictor of cognitive decline as well as institutional care and mortality. Evidence exists of visual dysfunction at several levels of the visual pathway in Parkinsons disease. This includes psychophysical, electrophysiological and morphological evidence of disruption of retinal structure and function, in addition to disorders of ‘higher’ (cortical) visual processing. In this review, we will draw together work from animal and human studies in an attempt to provide an insight into how Parkinsons disease affects the retina and how these changes might contribute to the visual symptoms experienced by patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European security depends on the effective collaboration of the five major powers; it will be undermined by the extension of NATO, a policy driven by US domestic politics. The main threats to security are: the breakdown of political and economic stability; unintended nuclear proliferation and/or failure of the START process; Russia's evolving political and territorial aspirations. All three will remain marginal as long as Russia is constructively engaged with the West. NATO expansion threatens that engagement. It is seen by all strands of Russian opinion as violating the bargain struck in 1990 and will likely lead to the withdrawal of cooperation. Invitations to Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic cannot be rescinded, but the consequences can be mitigated by refraining from integrating them into NATO's military structure, by ceasing to insist that NATO membership is open to all, and by perpetuating the de facto nuclear-weapons-free zone that presently exists in Central and Eastern Europe. Britain's stance could be pivotal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Kingdom's present strategic nuclear deterrent, the Trident submarine-based system, has been in full operation for less than four years. But the government will have to consider questions about the follow-on to this system before the end of this parliament and its successor government will almost certainly have to start taking, and implementing, decisions before 2008–9. In the past, political and public debates about the UK's nuclear weapons tended to flow forward on their own technical momentum, backed by the strategic imperatives of the Cold War. The next successor decisions, however, will be made in an era where both the technical questions and the strategic environment will be radically different. There may or may not be another vigorous public debate, but the present, and next, government will face some fundamental [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of varying algal availability on byssal thread production by re–attaching zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) was quantified. The byssal apparatus was severed and mussels allowed to re–attach to a hard substratum for a 21 day period during which they were fed at algal concentrations of 0.0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 mg C l−1. Byssal thread production was quantified by counting the number of new attachment plaques present each day. Results showed that starved mussels continued to partition organic carbon towards thread production but the resultant byssal mass was compromised, containing fewer threads than those produced by fed mussels. The daily average byssal thread production by mussels fed at 2.0 mg C l−1 was greater than that of starved mussels and the final mean dry soft tissue weight higher. At algal C concentrations below maintenance requirements byssal thread production was elevated compared to starved mussels, but there was no concurrent increase in soft tissue. This suggests that below maintenance levels assimilated carbon was solely partitioned towards byssus production and stored reserves may have been utilized. The ratio of organic carbon contained in the byssus to that in the soft tissues remained relatively constant across all feeding levels. This suggests that the carbon content of the byssus is a constant function of that of the soft tissue mass. These results may explain seasonal variation in attachment strength of numerous byssate species and seasonal vertical migrations by D. polymorpha. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Investigates parentage among Bell Miner nestlings, examining the degree of relatedness between parents and helpers at the nest. Use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fingerprinting in this investigation; Overview of cooperative breeding in birds; Analysis of species investigated.

The authors focus on new insights on tumor radioresistance. The authors reflect on the findings by a medical study that cells from breast cancer cell lines radioresistant compared with the remainder of breast cancer cells. These cells, termed as cancer stem cells (CSCs), are driven and maintained by a subpopulation of cells that have a capacity to self-renew. The authors suggest that the studies showed that radioresistance may be a general property of CSCs.

The French government is reassessing the whole basis on which it trains and equips its diplomats for their calling, driven by a growing perception that French diplomacy has not been performing well. The 'Heisbourg Report' on the state of French diplomacy pulled no punches and accused French diplomats of being closed to international influences, untrained for modern diplomacy and stifled by a state-centrist view of modern international relations. On the face of it this can all be interpreted as a milestone in an underlying convergence between Francophone and Anglophone approaches to modern diplomacy and security. In very important respects, however, Britain and France are mirror images of each other. What is defined here as mirror imaging can be seen to exist at three different levels which are self-reinforcing, though not in obvious ways: in the pros and cons of each others' policy-making style; in their inextricable fate to develop the European Security and Defence Policy project; and even at the most abstract levels in the predicaments they face in the light of globalization. Seen in this context, it is evident that it is not merely the skills and techniques of French and British policy-makers that need to be re-examined, but rather their way of thinking about their own state and about the nature of the international system around them in an era when globalization is symptomatic of deep structural change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease, typically thought of as a movement disorder, is increasingly recognized as causing cognitive impairment and dementia. Eye movement abnormalities are also described, including impairment of rapid eye movements (saccades) and the fixations interspersed between them. Such movements are under the influence of cortical and subcortical networks commonly targeted by the neurodegeneration seen in Parkinson's disease and, as such, may provide a marker for cognitive decline. This study examined the error rates and visual exploration strategies of subjects with Parkinson's disease, with and without cognitive impairment, whilst performing a battery of visuo-cognitive tasks. Error rates were significantly higher in those Parkinson's disease groups with either mild cognitive impairment (P = 0.001) or dementia (P < 0.001), than in cognitively normal subjects with Parkinson's disease. When compared with cognitively normal subjects with Parkinson's disease, exploration strategy, as measured by a number of eye tracking variables, was least efficient in the dementia group but was also affected in those subjects with Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment. When compared with control subjects and cognitively normal subjects with Parkinson's disease, saccade amplitudes were significantly reduced in the groups with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Fixation duration was longer in all Parkinson's disease groups compared with healthy control subjects but was longest for cognitively impaired Parkinson's disease groups. The strongest predictor of average fixation duration was disease severity. Analysing only data from the most complex task, with the highest error rates, both cognitive impairment and disease severity contributed to a predictive model for fixation duration [F(2,76) = 12.52, P ≤ 0.001], but medication dose did not (r = 0.18, n = 78, P = 0.098, not significant). This study highlights the potential use of exploration strategy measures as a marker of cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease and reveals the efficiency by which fixations and saccades are deployed in the build-up to a cognitive response, rather than merely focusing on the outcome itself. The prolongation of fixation duration, present to a small but significant degree even in cognitively normal subjects with Parkinson's disease, suggests a disease-specific impact on the networks directing visual exploration, although the study also highlights the multi-factorial nature of changes in exploration and the significant impact of cognitive decline on efficiency of visual search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson’s disease, typically thought of as a movement disorder, is increasingly recognized as causing cognitive impairment and dementia. Eye movement abnormalities are also described, including impairment of rapid eye movements (saccades) and the fixations interspersed between them. Such movements are under the influence of cortical and subcortical networks commonly targeted by the neurodegeneration seen in Parkinson’s disease and, as such, may provide a marker for cognitive decline. This study examined the error rates and visual exploration strategies of subjects with Parkinson’s disease, with and without cognitive impairment, whilst performing a battery of visuo-cognitive tasks. Error rates were significantly higher in those Parkinson’s disease groups with either mild cognitive impairment (P = 0.001) or dementia (P < 0.001), than in cognitively normal subjects with Parkinson’s disease. When compared with cognitively normal subjects with Parkinson’s disease, exploration strategy, as measured by a number of eye tracking variables, was least efficient in the dementia group but was also affected in those subjects with Parkinson’s disease with mild cognitive impairment. When compared with control subjects and cognitively normal subjects with Parkinson’s disease, saccade amplitudes were significantly reduced in the groups with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Fixation duration was longer in all Parkinson’s disease groups compared with healthy control subjects but was longest for cognitively impaired Parkinson’s disease groups. The strongest predictor of average fixation duration was disease severity. Analysing only data from the most complex task, with the highest error rates, both cognitive impairment and disease severity contributed to a predictive model for fixation duration [F(2,76) = 12.52, P &leq; 0.001], but medication dose did not (r = 0.18, n = 78, P = 0.098, not significant). This study highlights the potential use of exploration strategy measures as a marker of cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease and reveals the efficiency by which fixations and saccades are deployed in the build-up to a cognitive response, rather than merely focusing on the outcome itself. The prolongation of fixation duration, present to a small but significant degree even in cognitively normal subjects with Parkinson’s disease, suggests a disease-specific impact on the networks directing visual exploration, although the study also highlights the multi-factorial nature of changes in exploration and the significant impact of cognitive decline on efficiency of visual search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which assessed whether there is an enduring gender difference in the ability of self-rated health to predict mortality. Possible role of self-reported physical health in the difference; Statistical methods; Results and discussion.

Background The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of monitoring older people's health by measuring active life expectancy among older people with and without diabetes using routinely collected primary care data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Paracaecal hernia is a rare type of internal hernia usually presenting with a picture of small bowel obstruction. In this report we present a 68-year-old woman who was admitted with colicky lower abdominal pain, vomiting and abdominal distention. A computed tomography scan of her abdomen and pelvis demonstrated multiple dilated small bowel loops with a transition point in the right iliac fossa. After a trial of conservative treatment, the patient was taken to theatre where she underwent laparoscopic reduction of a strangulated paracaecal hernia. The patient had an uneventful post-operative recovery and was discharged home. Despite being a rare cause for small intestinal obstruction, this should be part of the differential diagnosis especially in the absence of previous abdominal operations. Early recognition and prompt surgical treatment is the key to prevent complications. A laparoscopic approach is feasible if expertise is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The best management of vitamin D deficiency, defined as a 25-hydroxyvitamin D [(25(OH)D] level <50 nM, is unclear. Intramuscular (IM) injection of a large bolus of vitamin D (≥100 000 IU) is used, but its safety is uncertain. In 10 adults given an IM injection of 600 000IU vitamin D3, we measured at baseline and at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks postinjection the serum levels of vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3, 25(OH)D2, total 25(OH)D, 3-epi-25(OH)D3, and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [24,25(OH)2D3] using a standardized LC with tandem MS (MS/MS) assay; serum levels of 25(OH)D using the Abbott ARCHITECT i2000 immunoassay; and markers of bone metabolism. Bone markers and 25(OH)D (immunoassay) were remeasured at 24 weeks. All participants had baseline total 25(OH)D levels >50 nM. Serum 25(OH)D levels increased at 3, 4, and 24 weeks postinjection, peaking at 4 weeks [mean ± SEM of 126 ± 7.9 nM (immunoassay) and 100 ± 5.5 nM (LC-MS/MS)] but generally remained <125 nM, the upper limit recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Serum 24,25(OH)2D3 levels increased at 3 and 4 weeks postinjection. Serum ionized calcium levels were higher than baseline at 1, 3, and 4 weeks postinjection but remained within the clinically normal range. Other biochemical parameters, including other vitamin D metabolites, plasma alkaline phosphatase, and parathyroid hormone levels, were unchanged. IM injection of a large bolus of vitamin D effectively increases serum 25(OH)D levels without evidence of metabolic abnormality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP) has collaborated with numerous groups and agencies to assemble a set of tools, i.e., a reference measurement system, that can be used to establish the traceability of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] assays to relevant reference measurement procedures and reference materials. This is done with the goal of verifying end-user laboratory performance using precise statistical criteria to determine whether a specific assay is standardized. The purpose of this paper was to outline a set of steps that routine clinical and research laboratories can use to standardize their 25(OH)D assays using these tools. These steps apply to laboratories using commercially developed immunoassay measurement systems as well as in-house assays, usually based on high HPLC or LC tandem MS measurement systems. The steps are (1) initial calibration, (2) initial assessment of accuracy and bias, (3) assessment of total percent CV and mean bias, (4) use of trueness controls, and (5) participation in accuracy-based performance testing and/or external quality assessment schemes. The goal of each laboratory assay is to have a total CV of ≤10% and mean bias of ≤5%. Rigorous and less rigorous but low-cost options for meeting these statistical criteria are provided. Research laboratories who infrequently measure 25(OH)D are advised to repeat steps 1–4 for every measurement cycle. For users of commercial immunoassays who have relatively little control over standardization, we present an option for using trueness controls to develop a master equation that can be used to standardize results to the reference methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: visual and cognitive impairments are common in later life. Yet there are very few cognitive screening tests for the visually impaired.Objective: to screen for cognitive impairment in the visually impaired.Methods: case–control study including 150 elderly participants with visual impairment (n = 74) and a control group without visual impairment (n = 76) using vision-independent cognitive tests and cognitive screening tests (MMSE and clock drawing tests (CDT)) which are in part vision dependent.Results: the scoring of the two groups did not differ in the vision-independent cognitive tests. Visually impaired patients performed poorer than controls in the vision-dependent items of the MMSE (T = 7.3; df: 148; P < 0.001) and in CDT (T = 3.1; df: 145; P = 0.003). No group difference was found when vision-independent items were added to MMSE and CDT. The test score gain by the use of vision-independent items correlated with the severity of visual impairment (P < 0.002).Conclusion: visually impaired patients benefit from cognitive tests, which do not rely on vision. The more visually impaired the greater the benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: cognitive test scores and visual acuity are strongly associated in older people. This may be due to poor vision limiting performance on cognitive tasks specifically requiring vision, or an association between visual and neurodegenerative disorders.Objective: to explore, using data from the Newcastle 85+ cohort study, the impact of sight impairment (SI) on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and whether reduced scores among SI participants are limited to tasks requiring vision.Results: of 839 participants aged 85 years, 44 (5.2%) were registered SI. Median (inter-quartile range) sMMSE scores were 25 (22–29) for SI and 28 (25–29) for non-SI participants (P = 0.006). SI participants had lower subscale scores on tasks requiring vision (P < 0.001 for each) but also for some subscale scores not obviously requiring vision: orientation (P = 0.018) and repetition (P = 0.030). Excluding visual items, there was no significant difference in MMSE scores between those with/without SI.Conclusion: SI may be an obstacle to older people completing cognitive assessments including tasks requiring vision. People with SI also scored lower on some tasks not obviously requiring vision. An association between cognitive impairment and SI may exist beyond simply being unable to see the test material in cognitive tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated complex I deficiency is the most frequently observed oxidative phosphorylation defect in children with mitochondrial disease, leading to a diverse range of clinical presentations, including Leigh syndrome. For most patients the genetic cause of the biochemical defect remains unknown due to incomplete understanding of the complex I assembly process. Nonetheless, a plethora of pathogenic mutations have been described to date in the seven mitochondrial-encoded subunits of complex I as well as in 12 of the nuclear-encoded subunits and in six assembly factors. Whilst several mitochondrial DNA mutations are recurrent, the majority of these mutations are reported in single families. We have sequenced core structural and functional nuclear-encoded subunits of complex I in a cohort of 34 paediatric patients with isolated complex I deficiency, identifying pathogenic mutations in 6 patients. These included a novel homozygous NDUFS1 mutation in an Asian child with Leigh syndrome, a previously identified NDUFS8 mutation (c.236C>T, p.P79L) in a second Asian child with Leigh-like syndrome and six novel, compound heterozygous NDUFS2 mutations in four white Caucasian patients with Leigh or Leigh-like syndrome. Three of these children harboured an identical NDUFS2 mutation (c.875T>C, p.M292T), which was also identified in conjunction with a novel NDUFS2 splice site mutation (c.866+4A>G) in a fourth Caucasian child who presented to a different diagnostic centre, with microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism analyses indicating that this was due to an ancient common founder event. Our results confirm that NDUFS2 is a mutational hotspot in Caucasian children with isolated complex I deficiency and recommend the routine diagnostic investigation of this gene in patients with Leigh or Leigh-like phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cooperatively breeding bell miners (Manorina melanophrys) have numerous male helpers assisting at multiple nests. Helpers are often related to the brood they aid, consistent with kin selection. However, there are also unrelated helpers for which other direct fitness benefits are likely to accrue. Bell miner nestlings can become infested by the larvae of a parasitic fly (Passeromyia indecora), which reduce growth and can be fatal. We investigated the amount of time that breeding pairs and helpers closely inspected nests and preened nestlings, behaviors apparently directed at detecting and removing parasites, a form of helping previously unstudied in a cooperative bird. Female breeders provided the greatest antiparasite effort, with breeding males and helpers not differing in effort regardless of their relatedness to the breeding female or brood. We also experimentally infested nests with nonparasitic flies and larvae. All individuals removed the introduced “parasites” if and when they encountered them. Compared with control sessions, inspection effort increased for all birds immediately after the experimental infestations, but only for a short, 5-min period. Further, we detected no changes in helper antiparasite behaviors after the temporary experimental removal of either breeding females or males. Such consistent helping behavior, independent of relatedness and potential audience effects, suggests that antiparasite behavior in bell miners is not particularly kin directed or operating as a signal of helper quality. Our results instead suggest that helper antiparasite effort appears to represent adaptive investment in the welfare of the brood, consistent with direct fitness benefits from group augmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors tested the hypothesis that the birth prevalence of gastroschisis is positively associated with use of recreational drugs in early pregnancy. A matched case-control study was carried out in three regions of the United Kingdom over the period January 2001 through August 2003. For each case, three liveborn controls were matched by initial intended place of delivery, region, and maternal age. Maternal hair analysis provided independent verification of recreational drug use. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate mutually adjusted odds ratios. Estimates were revised using data from hair analysis. Statistically significant adjusted odds ratios for gastroschisis were associated with first-trimester use of 1) any recreational drug (odds ratio (OR) = 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2, 4.3) and 2) vasoconstrictive recreational drugs (defined as cocaine, amphetamines, and ecstasy) (OR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.0, 10.5). Other significant exposures included aspirin use (OR = 20.4, 95% CI: 2.2, 191.5), cigarette smoking (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.6), and prior history of gynecologic infection/disease (OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.2, 5.6). Recreational drug use is a significant risk factor for gastroschisis and is one of a constellation of potentially preventable exposures which include cigarette smoking, aspirin use, and history of gynecologic infection/disease. Maternal hair analysis proved an acceptable and valuable method of independently verifying recreational drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Presents a study that examined the apportionment of genetic diversity in the noisy miner Manorina melanocephala in Brisbane, Queensland. Analysis of the DNA microsatellite loci of the birds; Estimation of the heterozygosity and number alleles of the microsatellite; Examination of the pairwise patterns of genetic differentiation in noisy miners.