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Insurers often commission psychiatric experts to evaluate the eligibility of workers with mental disorders for disability benefits, by estimating their residual work capacity (RWC). We investigated the validity of a standardized, computer-based battery of established diagnostic instruments, for evaluating the personality, cognition, performance, symptom burden, and symptom validity of claimants. One hundred and fifty-three claimants for benefits were assessed by the assembled test battery, which was applied in addition to a conventional clinical work disability evaluation. A principal component analysis of the test and questionnaire battery data revealed six factors (Negative Affectivity, Self-Perceived Work Ability, Behavioral Dysfunction, Working Memory, Cognitive Processing Speed, and Excessive Work Commitment). Claimants with low, medium, and high RWC exclusively varied in the factor Negative Affectivity. Importantly, this factor also showed a strong association to psychiatric ratings of capacity limitations in psychosocial functioning. The findings demonstrate that the used test battery allows a substantiation of RWC estimates and of psychiatric ratings by objective and standardized data. If routinely incorporated in work disability evaluations, the test battery could increase their transparency for all stakeholders (insurers, claimants, medical experts, expert case-coordinators, and legal practitioners) and would open new avenues for research in the field of insurance medicine. The residual work capacity (RWC) estimation by medical experts is internationally good practice, but plagued by a relatively low interrater agreement. The current study shows that psychiatric RWC estimates and capacity limitation ratings can be substantiated by data from objective, standardized psychometric instruments. Systematically using such instruments might help to improve the poor interrater agreement for RWC estimates in work disability evaluations. Such data could also be used for adopting vocational trainings and return-to-work programs to the individual needs of workers with mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the link between uncertainty and the excess returns of direct commercial real estate markets using the well-established economic policy uncertainty index (EPU) and a novel measure of uncertainty, the world uncertainty index (WUI). Using a panel dataset of 17 European markets, we find a strong positive relation between the two uncertainty measures and excess returns in our univariate models and when we add real estate control variables. However, once macroeconomic control variables are included, only the WUI remains significant. We relate this finding to the more country-specific nature of the WUI, while the EPU potentially gives more weight to global news. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing interest in participatory approaches to healthcare design, the integration of people's lived experience—direct, first-hand understanding of a certain condition, situation, or identity—remains a key challenge to meaningful participation. Through an interview study with 23 patients, designers, family caregivers, and healthcare professionals involved in participatory healthcare design initiatives, the authors identify underlying tensions associated with leveraging lived experiences in healthcare design and investigate how existing strategies for integrating lived experience relate to these tensions. In doing so, this research offers insights for practitioners regarding ways of strategically navigating tensions when integrating people's lived experience through design in complex healthcare contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of integrated movement behaviours (MB, i.e., physical activity [PA], sedentary behaviour, and sleep) and their interdependence for health has been recently discussed in the literature. The proposition that the amount of time spent in any one of these behaviours may impact the amount of time spent in another is supported by the ActivityStat hypothesis. The aim of this review is to (1) to assess whether individuals with liver disease display MB and/or energy (i.e., total energy expenditure [EE], basal EE, resting EE, and activity EE) compensation throughout the day and/or days; and (2) to examine whether a prescribed PA intervention triggers compensatory responses. Documents were included if they focused on people living with liver disease; analysed MB and/or EE components; were data-based; and were published in English. Fifteen documents were included in the final synthesis. The one finding that addressed research question 1 showed no compensatory response. As for research question 2, most of the findings suggest no compensation effects in response to a PA intervention. There is insufficient evidence to support the ActivityStat hypothesis in people living with liver disease. Further research should be conducted to test this hypothesis using standardized methodological procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with coeliac disease (CD) following the gluten-free diet may experience ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms despite strict adherence. The study objective was to evaluate the association between foods high in fermentable oligo/di/monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) and gastrointestinal symptoms, and the potential implications to diet quality and health-related quality of life in CD children. Dietary intake was studied in age-sex matched children 5–18 years (CD, n = 46; non-coeliac mild chronic gastrointestinal complaints [GIC], n = 46; healthy controls [HC], n = 46). CD children consumed fewer foods high in FODMAPs compared to GIC and HC (p <.0001). FODMAP intake was not related to gastrointestinal symptoms in CD children (p > 0.05) but was positively associated with child health-related quality of life (p < 0.05). FODMAP intake from fruits and vegetables was positively associated with diet adequacy and total diet quality in CD children (p < 0.05). FODMAP intake may influence diet quality and health-related quality of life but has no impact on gastrointestinal symptoms in CD children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe development, use and outcomes of a Home Healthcare (HHC) simulation experience. Quasi-experimental pre/posttest. Setting: A simulation center for nursing students (N = 108) completing an 8-hour simulation experience, followed by data collection on perceived benefits to their learning; and influence on their desire to work in HHC. 93% (n = 101) reported the simulation was helpful; 57.4% (n = 62) reported participation increased their desire to work in HHC. Use of a HHC-focused simulation had positive learning outcomes in this setting. In this sample, results suggest value in maintaining the simulation experience for future cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the impact of an educational intervention on student nurse knowledge of and interest in home care careers. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was used among nursing students (N= 108) completing an online module and simulation. Analysis: T-tests measured knowledge changes and descriptive statistics measured home care career interest. Findings: Knowledge increased significantly (p=.000) while preferred work setting rankings remained stable with a minimal but potentially impactful increase in home care interest. Conclusion: More education and research is warranted given home care workforce shortages and the need to imbed home care education into nursing curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disentangling the meteorological and human drivers of drought is a critical challenge. A key difficulty is identifying natural conditions against which human impacts can be analysed. Here, a combination of approaches is used: a hydrological model is developed for an upstream unmodified location and is then applied to a downstream site subject to irrigation-related abstractions: i.e. an upstream–downstream/observation–model approach. The relative importance of climate change is also investigated. The study location (the Lindis River, New Zealand) has a continental climate, and the lower river frequently runs dry during summer. Output from the hydrological model indicates that despite the warm and dry summer conditions there is a substantial influence of abstractions on Lindis River low flows – without abstractions, dewatering would likely be rare rather than regular. Increases in precipitation associated with climate change could reduce the occurrence of dewatering, but this eventuality will be strongly influenced by water management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of mandated folate enrichment of gluten-free (GF) grains in Canada has been suspected to contribute to suboptimal folate intake among children suffering from Celiac disease (CD). Children with CD on the gluten-free diet (GFD) face nutrient imbalances (higher fat/sugar, lower folate) from processed GF foods. The study objective examined folate intake in children with CD and folate content of household food purchases. Households collected food receipts for 30 days to assess folate content. Folate-rich foods were defined as ≥60 µg dietary folate equivalent (DFE)/100g. Two 24-hour recalls assessed children's intake. Households (n = 73) purchased >17,000 food items. Median child age was 10.5 y (IQR: 8.4–14.1). GF folate-rich foods represented <15% of all household food purchases and 69% of children had low folate intakes. Folate-rich foods consumed included legumes/GF-breakfast cereals. These represented 5% of GF-food purchases/intake. Few were fortified with folate. Findings highlight the need for mandated GF folate food fortification policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, are reprogrammed considerably following fertilization during mammalian early embryonic development. Incomplete epigenetic reprogramming is a major factor leading to poor developmental outcome in embryos generated by assisted reproductive technologies, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer. However, the role of histone modifications in preimplantation development is poorly understood. Here, we show that co-knockdown (cKD) of Hdac1 and 2 (but not individually) resulted in developmental failure during the morula to blastocyst transition. This outcome was also confirmed with the use of small-molecule HDAC1/2-specific inhibitor FK228. We observed reduced cell proliferation and increased incidence of apoptosis in cKD embryos, which were likely caused by increased acetylation of TRP53. Importantly, both RNA-seq and immunostaining analysis revealed a failure of lineage specification to generate trophectoderm and pluripotent cells. Among many gene expression changes, a substantial decrease of Cdx2 may be partly accounted for by the aberrant Hippo pathway occurring in cKD embryos. In addition, we observed an increase in global DNA methylation, consistent with increased DNA methyltransferases and UHRF1. Interestingly, deficiency of RBBP4 and 7 (both are core components of several HDAC1/2-containing epigenetic complexes) results in similar phenotypes as those of cKD embryos. Overall, HDAC1 and 2 play redundant functions required for lineage specification, cell viability and accurate global DNA methylation, each contributing to critical developmental programmes safeguarding a successful preimplantation development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water use in the tourism industry is a vital sustainability issue in destination development. Achieving sustainable water demand management (WDM) is challenging and requires destination stakeholder collaboration for effective participatory policymaking. Taking the WDM of Singapore's hotel sector as a case, this article applies a policy network analysis to prevailing stakeholder collaboration based on public policy documents published between 2001 and 2015. Thirty-three interconnected organisational stakeholders and 76 policy domains were identified. Longitudinal analyses revealed structural changes in stakeholder collaboration during WDM policy development. The findings also indicate that the policy stakeholders of WDM are becoming increasingly diverse, and with this expansion in stakeholder participation, the collaboration network has evolved from being simple to remarkably complex. This article also discusses the relationship between policy stakeholders and policy domains, revealing that the responsibility, available resources, and interests of stakeholders are the main factors influencing their policy preferences in this discourse. The results enrich our understanding of inter-stakeholder relationships and the dynamic relational structure of interdisciplinary policy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study suggests that storytelling provides a protective effect in older adults, from the symptoms of narrative foreclosure, which is the notion that one has nothing left to add to their life story. Small group storytelling is proposed as a simple and helpful way to the development of resilience in older adults. This exploratory study was structured as a small group case study with mixed methods of data collection. The case provides an example of a non-pharmaceutical intervention that demonstrates implementation of a storytelling group to increase happiness and well-being in older adults. Implications suggest use in gerontology, retirement transition, and holistic and alternative therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to reduce numbers of concurrently ordered sedative-hypnotic drugs for older adults in long-term (N = 220) and home-care (N = 357) settings. All active records were reviewed and numbers of sedative-hypnotics per patient were documented. Upon record review completion, educational sessions focused on dangers posed by use of multiple sedative-hypnotics were presented to nurses. One month posteducation, researchers reviewed the same records to evaluate changes. Matched pairt-tests suggested significant decreases in sedative-hypnotic use in long term, but not in the home care setting. Education in this area is critical within and across community settings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Experiences of women who served during the Vietnam War have been described in interviews/anecdotal reports but rarely in empirical literature. Potential positive (versus negative) aspects of service or its impact on well-being are seldom considered. We describe stressful and positive experiences reported by approximately 1,300 female military personnel, Red Cross workers, and others deployed to Vietnam. Prominent stressful (e.g., negative living/working conditions) and positive (e.g., interpersonal relationships) themes and differences based on trauma history, Vietnam experiences, and group membership are explored. We evaluate associations between themes and psychological well-being. Findings provide insight into experiences of this understudied group of women. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Daoist ethics are difficult to pinpoint in a Western ethical framework. At times classic Daoist texts advocate for certain ways of life over others, yet at other times they rebel against the notions of right and wrong. This attitude about right and wrong, leads some to believe that Daoists are moral relativists who believe that right and wrong are merely an arbitrary valuing within the mind and that there is no justification for external moral critique. Others believe that there is a Daoist ethic, but it advocates only not acting, in the literal sense, when we are faced with ethical choices. This paper attempts to show a coherent, universal ethic that can be inferred from a close reading of these texts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MIP) and conventional percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in the treatment of patients with large renal stone burden. MIP has proven its efficacy and safety in the management of small renal calculi. However, conventional PCNL is still considered the standard method for treatment of large renal stones in the upper urinary tract.Materials and methods: A search of two longitudinal databases in two tertiary referral centres for complex stone disease identified 133 consecutive patients who were treated by either MIP or PCNL for renal stones 20 mm or larger between January 2009 and August 2012. Clinical data and outcome measures of the two methods were compared by Student’sttest, chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test. Ap value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Operative time was significantly shorter and hospital stay was significantly longer in conventional PCNL compared to MIP (p = 0.002 and < 0.001, respectively). There were no significant differences in primary stone-free rate or complication rate between the two methods. Only higher graded complications (above Clavien grade II) were significantly more common in conventional PCNL (p = 0.02).Conclusion: MIP is equally effective as conventional PCNL in the treatment of large renal calculi. Both methods have a similar complication rate. The shorter operative time in PCNL may be based on the larger diameter and quicker retrieval of large fragments; the longer mean hospital stay may be caused by the handling of the nephrostomy tube. The current data suggest that the choice of the method mainly depends on the surgeon’s preference. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: The monkey model is the best model to investigate some physiological response to the fetal transitory tracheal occlusion but it has never been described inMacacamonkeys. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of fetal endoscopic tracheal occlusion (FETO) in a non-human primate model. Methods: Pregnant rhesus monkeys and cynomolgus were tested as a potential experimental model for FETO in the third trimester of pregnancy, by performing fetal tracheoscopies with and without tracheal occlusion. Results: A total of 22 pregnancies were followed in 16 monkeys and underwent fetal surgery. Percutaneous endoscopic access to the uterine cavity was possible in 20 cases (91%). Of these 20 pregnant monkeys, fetal tracheoscopy could be achieved in 15 cases (75%). In rhesus monkeys, the time between the onset of endoscopy and tracheal penetration decreases as operator experience increases. Neither maternal morbidity nor mortality was related to surgery. Two fetal losses were possibly due to the procedure. Conclusion: FETO is feasible in the non-human primate, which closely reflects procedures in humans. The non-human primate model for FETO, specially the rhesus monkeys, may be useful for future studies concerning the mechanisms related to the lung growth after transitory fetal tracheal occlusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives:Research increasingly demonstrates that trauma exposure can have cumulative effects, yet much remains to be learned about effects of cumulative trauma, particularly regarding longer term adjustment. One such trauma, combat exposure, is insufficiently understood, especially for women, who are increasingly engaged in professional combat activities.Design:The study comprised a cross-sectional survey assessing multiple aspects of current well-being in women approximately 25 years after their service in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.Methods:Participants were 1374 women (78% military and 22% nonmilitary; mean age = 59.7). This study investigated the relations between three separate categories of trauma exposure (childhood, adulthood, and combat) and well-being and examined whether perceived social support at return from Vietnam moderated the association between combat exposure and well-being.Results:While both childhood and adulthood trauma exposure related to midlife well-being, combat exposure still uniquely predicted outcomes. Further, postdeployment perceived social support moderated the association of combat and well-being: recollected higher perceived social support at homecoming buffered participants from the links between combat exposure and well-being.Conclusions:These results may have important implications for interventions to reduce the impact of traumatic experiences, particularly in light of the increasing exposure of women to direct combat events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article brings a fresh perspective to colonial encounter in the north-eastern Cape frontier through the story of Gungubele, chief of a senior Thembu clan living in the southern part of the Tambookie location. Queenstown and the Tambookie location were established as twin colonial projects at the end of the seventh frontier war. While the location evolved as a prototype experiment in peasant agriculture and freehold tenure, the white town provided a locus for settler colonial commerce and magisterial control over the district that encompassed the Tambookie location. Both projects were creations of frontier conflict, and tensions simmered. Boers coveted the land granted to Africans in the district, and residents of Queenstown struggled to align their dependence on indigenous people with their desire to distance themselves from them. African inhabitants of the Tambookie location chafed at their confinement in a tiny corner of the vast territory from which they had been routed. In 1856–67, the episode known as the Great Cattle Killing shifted economic power relations and created a new dependence on the white colonists. Making use of this vulnerability in the mid 1860s, colonial authorities attempted to relocate Africans further away from Queenstown in order to free up land for further colonial settlement. When this strategy failed, they fell back on the hope of drawing Africans into settler capitalist development, and began tinkering with the system of land tenure, imposing taxes and appointing compliant headmen. Tensions exploded in 1877, when the Queenstown magistracy clashed with Gungubele, setting in motion the final tragic showdown between the colonists and the Tambookie location. The moment came to define the hardening character of settler colonialism on the north-eastern frontier and inexorably altered relations both within African society and between colonist and colonised. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Anchor ice describes clusters of ice attached to the beds of rivers, lakes or seas. In Antarctica, ice shelves are considered to be a main driver of anchor ice formation through a process commonly referred to as an ‘ice pump’. These pumps melt the base of an ice shelf at depth and produce a buoyancy-driven plume of meltwater that rises along the basal plane, becoming potentially supercooled in the process. Anchor ice growth may be initiated in regions where plumes intersect the local seafloor. A simple process model is proposed to predict these growth sites in coastal Antarctic waters. A comparison with model output and anchor ice observations in McMurdo Sound reveals that model-predicted formation sites are consistent with these observations. Knowledge of ice shelf draft, basal slope and cavity circulation is necessary to extend the model beyond the confines of McMurdo Sound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To document the sodium intake and food sources of sodium of Canadian-born Chinese (CBC) and Asian-born Chinese (ABC) individuals at a Canadian university campus.Participants: Healthy adults aged 18–58 years originating from Canada, China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan were recruited from the University of Alberta (n= 40 CBC,n= 41 ABC) between May and December 2010.Methods: Two in-person multipass 24-hour dietary recall interviews were administered for 1 weekday and 1 weekend day.Results: The mean sodium intake was 3,623 ± 1,406 mg/day. The major food sources of sodium were commercially prepared and processed foods for both CBC and ABC (59.9% and 54.7% of sodium, respectively). Condiments contributed substantially to dietary sodium intake of CBC and ABC (27.8% and 35.1% of sodium, respectively).Conclusions: Efforts to reduce dietary sodium among students and other adults of Chinese ethnicity should focus on limiting consumption of commercially processed foods and moderation in discretionary use of salt and soy sauce. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We investigated students' perceptions of graduate attributes in a multi-level (second and third year) geography course. A case study with mixed methodology was employed, with data collected through focus groups and a survey. We found that undergraduate geography students can identify the skills, knowledge and attributes that are developed through a multi-level course programme, and that these broadly align with the stated graduate attributes of the discipline. Moreover, there was evidence of progressive development of graduate attributes between second and third year students. The results suggest that peer-to-peer learning can play an important role within this multi-level learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A critical requirement for an effective and coordinated response by public entities tasked with management, security, and relief during large-scale public events or natural disasters is the availability of current situational information. However, today there is a lack of comprehensive operational systems allowing a near-real-time (NRT) collection, visualization, and provision of situational information for larger areas. In this study a methodological framework is proposed, which allows an NRT extraction and visualization of situational information based on aerial image acquisition. The framework combines digital image analysis using a generic supervised information extraction approach based on statistical modeling with a downstream web-based visualization component realized through an automatic update of web services. Even though being applicable for different scenarios, the workflow will be demonstrated for the specific use-case of a NRT monitoring of open spaces including assembly and parking areas. Compared to other approaches, image analysis results indicate a high robustness and a low demand for computational power sources (7 seconds per image). Due to a high degree of automation, the proposed workflow contributes to a NRT ‘end-to-end’ monitoring system, which was developed within the VABENE (German acronym for ‘traffic management under large-scale public events and disaster conditions’) project covering all parts from the acquisition of raw aerial imagery to the dissemination of information products to end-users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the development of new hemocompatible biomaterials, surface modification appears to be a suitable method in order to reduce the thrombogenetic potential of such materials. In this study, polycarbonate-urethane (PCU) tubes with different surface microstructures to be used for aortic heart valve models were investigated with regard to the thrombogenicity. The surface structures were produced by using a centrifugal casting process for manufacturing PCU tubes with defined casting mold surfaces which are conferred to the PCU surface during the process. Tubes with different structures defined by altering groove widths were cut into films and investi-gated under dynamic flow conditions in contact with porcine blood. The analysis was carried out by laser scanning microscopy which allowed for counting various mor-phological types of platelets with regard to the grade of activation. The comparison between plain and shaped PCU samples showed that the surface topography led to a decline of the activation of the coagulation cascade and thus to the reduction of the fibrin synthesis. Comparing different types of structures revealed that smooth struc-tures with a small groove width (d~3 μm) showed less platelet activation as well as less adhesion in contrast to a distinct wave structure (d~90 μm). These results prove surface modification of polymer biomaterials to be a suitable method for reducing thrombogenicity and hence give reason for further alterations and improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tambookie, the San name for abaThembu, was adopted by the British for the area north of the eastern Cape colonial boundary in the 1820s. By the 1830s, all those who lived in this liminal zone had become snared in the trap of conquest – none perhaps as inexorably as Maphasa, chief of the amaTshatshu, a Thembu clan. Unstable colonial policy and successive failed attempts to control the Tambookie frontier between 1830 and 1850 buffeted Maphasa. After the eighth frontier war, the British singled out his people serving on them a proclamation that sought to destroy their political power and group identity. In an effort to understand the position of Maphasa and the destruction of his people, this article explores the making of the Tambookie frontier and discusses the chief's vulnerability in his relations with the Moravian missionaries, the Thembu paramount and the British. The story of Maphasa amplifies the history of the north eastern frontier and raises questions for the crisis in African authority in the mid-nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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The purpose of this longitudinal study was to improve nurse medication management skills during home care (HC) visits, and thus improve care quality and the related patient ratings of nurse performance. Nurses completed presurveys asking how often they asked to see, taught about, and explained side effects of patient medications. Two focus groups were held with HC nurses to determine barriers to provision of such medication interventions, followed by presentation of a series of 5 medication-related educational sessions. HC nurse's surveys 6 months later reveal an increased frequency of medication skill performance, and patient ratings in these same areas improved statistically significantly, nearing or surpassing national benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the charge transport and absorption properties of a low bandgap quinoidal oligothiophene derivative [QQT(CN)4]. Organic field-effect transistors based on as-prepared QQT(CN)4 thin films show an ambipolar p-type dominant behavior and can be converted to n-type by thermal annealing at 100°C for 30 minutes. Absorption spectra and atomic force microscopy measurements carried out in both neat films and polymer blends provide new important insights into the role of the degree of aggregation and the intermolecular interactions on the semiconducting and photophysical properties of this organic electronic material. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We used regression models to assess the impact of warzone stress on physical and mental health of 975 female Vietnam veteran nurses, and whether current PTSD symptoms mediated these relations. Women's Vietnam Memorial Project members were surveyed in 1998, with analyses adjusted for age, length of military service, and current health symptoms. Findings suggest that among women nurses deployed to Vietnam, the effects of warzone stress many years earlier on current health are both direct and indirect, mediated by PTSD symptoms. The legacy of wartime deployment remains, although muted in its expression, in military nurses nearly 30 years after their return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates how the new spirit of capitalism gets inscribed in the fabric of search algorithms by way of social practices. Drawing on the tradition of the social construction of technology (SCOT) and 17 qualitative expert interviews it discusses how search engines and their revenue models are negotiated and stabilized in a network of actors and interests, website providers and users first and foremost. It further shows how corporate search engines and their capitalist ideology are solidified in a socio-political context characterized by a techno-euphoric climate of innovation and a politics of privatization. This analysis provides a valuable contribution to contemporary search engine critique mainly focusing on search engines' business models and societal implications. It shows that a shift of perspective is needed from impacts search engines have on society towards social practices and power relations involved in the construction of search engines to renegotiate search engines and their algorithmic ideology in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many studies analyse the impact of scheduled macroeconomic announcements on equity market volatility, few focus on the impact on option implied volatilities. In this study, we examine the link between German and US macroeconomic events and the implied volatility indices DAX Volatility Index (VDAX) and Chicago Board Options Exchange, CBOE Volatility Index (VIX). We find that both indices fall on announcement days, with the strongest reactions occurring during the financial crisis from 2008 to 2009. Further, we identify a volatility spillover effect and significant covariance clustering between VDAX and VIX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: By and large, prior registries and randomized trials have not distinguished between acute heart failure (AHF) associated with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) versus other causes. Aims: To examine whether the treatments and outcomes of ACS-associated AHF are different from non-ACS-associated AHF. Methods: We examined in a prospective, nationwide hospital-based survey the adjusted outcomes of AHF patients with and without ACS as its principal cause. Results: Of the 4102 patients in our national heart failure survey, 2336 (56.9%) had AHF, of whom 923 (39.5%) had ACS-associated AHF. These patients were more likely to receive intravenous inotropes and vasodilators and to undergo coronary angiography and revascularization, but less likely to receive intravenous diuretics. The unadjusted in-hospital, 30-day, one-year, and four-year mortality rates for AHF patients with or without ACS were 6.5% versus 5.0% ( P == 0.13), 10.3% versus 7.5% ( P == 0.02), 26.6% versus 31.0% ( P == 0.02), and 55.3% versus 63.3% ( P == 0.0001), respectively. In the multivariate analysis, the adjusted mortality risk for patients with ACS at the respective time points were 1.46 (0.99--2.10), 1.67 (1.22--2.30), 1.02 (0.86--1.20), and 0.93 (0.82--1.04). Conclusions: Patients with ACS-associated AHF seem to have a unique clinical course and perhaps should be distinguished from other AHF patients in future trials and registries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current guidelines regarding the use of intravenous morphine (IM) in the management of patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) are discordant; whereas the American guidelines reserve IM for terminal patients, the European guidelines recommend its use in the early stage of treatment. Our aim was to determine the impact of IM on outcomes of ADHF patients. Methods: Stepwise logistic regression and propensity score analysis of ADHF patients with and without use of IM was performed in a national heart failure survey. Results: Of the 4102 enrolled patients, we identified 2336 ADHF patients, of whom 218 (9.3%) received IM. IM patients were more likely to have acute coronary syndromes, acute rather than exacerbation of chronic heart failure, and diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. They had higher heart rate, were less likely to receive diuretics and more likely to receive aspirin and statins. Unadjusted in-hospital mortality rates were 11.5% versus 5.0% for patients who did or did not receive IM, and the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for in-hospital death was: 2.0 (1.1--3.5, P == 0.02). Using propensity analysis, we identified 218 matched pairs of patients who did or did not receive IM. In multivariable analysis accounting for the propensity score (c-statistic 0.82), IM was not associated with increased in-hospital death (OR: 1.2 (0.6--2.4), P == 0.55). Conclusion: IM was used sparingly in our ADHF cohort, and was independently associated with increased in-hospital death in multivariable analysis, but not in propensity score analysis. Thus, IM may be used in ADHF, but with caution. Further randomized trials are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replacement therapy using recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) is currently the most common therapy for hemophilia A, a bleeding disorder caused by the deficiency of FVIII. However, 15--30% of patients develop inhibitory antibodies against administered rFVIII, which complicates the therapy. Encapsulation or association of protein with lipidic structures can reduce this immune response. Previous studies developed and characterized rFVIII-containing phosphatidylserine (PS) cochleate cylinders using biophysical techniques. It was hypothesized that these structures may provide a reduction in immunogenicity while avoiding the rapid clearance by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) previously observed with liposomal vesicles of similar composition. This study investigated in vivo behavior of the cochleates containing rFVIII including immunogenicity and pharmacokinetics in hemophilia A mice. The rFVIII-cochleate complex significantly reduced the level of inhibitory antibody developed against rFVIII following intravenous (i.v.) administration. Pharmacokinetic modeling allowed assessment of in vivo release kinetics. Cochleates acted as a delayed release delivery vehicle with an input peak of cochleates showed limited RES uptake and associated rFVIII displayed a similar disposition to the free protein upon release from the structure. Incomplete disassociation from the complex limits systemic availability of the protein. Further formulation efforts are warranted to regulate the rate and extent of release of rFVIII from cochleate complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the ELDER (Expanded Learning and Dedication to Elders in the Region) Project was to address the needs of underserved older adults by providing worksite education to individuals who provide nursing care to older adults in community health centers, home health agencies, and long-term care facilities. Four agencies located in a Health Professional Shortage and Medically Underserved Area participated. Project staff conducted separate focus groups with administrators and staff at each agency to determine educational needs and preferences. Curricula from the Hartford Institute, End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium, and Geriatric Education Centers were adapted to design unique curricula for each agency and level of personnel (licensed nurse or unlicensed caregiver). Activities included focus group meetings to tailor content to the needs of each agency, on-site educational sessions, and identification of an agency champion to sustain the program after the funding ended. A case-based simulation-learning approach was used in the final year to validate application of knowledge and to facilitate teamwork and interprofessional communication. Over 100 nurses and nursing assistants and eight administrators and allied health professionals participated over the three-year period of the project. Retention over this period, independent evaluations, and simulations demonstrated participants' ability to integrate best practices into typical clinical scenarios and revealed improved communication among care providers. Tailored on-site education incorporating simulation was an effective model for translating gerontological knowledge into practice and improving the care of older adults in these multiple settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. (R,R)-fenoterol (Fen), a β2-adrenoceptor agonist, is under clinical investigation in the treatment of congestive heart disease. The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of the 4-methoxyphenyl derivative of (R,R)-Fen, (R,R)-MFen, have been determined following intravenous and oral administration to the rat and compared with corresponding results obtained with (R,R)-Fen. Results from the study suggest that (R,R)- MFen can offer pharmacokinetic and metabolic advantages in comparison to an earlier (R,R)-Fen. 2. The oral administration revealed that the net exposure of (R,R)-MFen was about three-fold higher than that of (R,R)-Fen (7.2 versus 2.3 min × nmol ml-1), while intravenous administration proved that the clearance was significantly reduced, 48 versus 146 ml min-1 kg-1, the T1/2 was significantly longer, 152.9 versus 108.9 min, and the area under the curve (AUC) was significantly increased, 300 versus 119 min × nmol ml-1. 3. (R,R)-MFen was primarily cleared by glucuronidation associated with significant presystemic glucuronidation of the compound. After intravenous and oral administration of (R,R)-MFen, (R,R)-Fen and (R,R)-Fen-G were detected in the urine samples indicating that (R,R)-MFen was O-demethylated and subsequently conjugated to (R,R)-Fen-G. The total (R,R)-Fen and (R,R)-Fen-G as a percentage of the dose after intravenous administration was 3.6%, while after oral administration was 0.3%, indicating that only a small fraction of the drug escaped presystemic glucuronidation and was available for O-demethylation. 4. The glucuronidation pattern was confirmed by the results from in vitro studies where incubation of (R,R)-MFen with rat hepatocytes produced (R,R)-MFen-G, (R,R)-Fen and (R,R)-Fen-G, while incubation with rat intestinal microsomes only resulted in the formation of (R,R)-MFen-G. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the fundamental performance of 32 companies from 10 Continental European countries that were privatized through public share offerings since 1992. We document strong performance improvements. Specifically, after being privatized, firms significantly increase real sales, become more profitable and improve their operating efficiency. The results remain robust when we split our data into subsamples of companies in regulated and nonregulated industries. Although employment does not change significantly, it decreases in regulated industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonautonomous retrotransposon subfamilies are often amplified in preference to their coding-competent relatives. However, the mechanisms responsible for such replicative success are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the autonomous MusD long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are subject to greater epigenetic silencing than their nonautonomous cousins, the early transposons (ETns), which are expressed at a 170-fold-higher level than MusD in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. We show that, in ES cells, 5' LTRs and the downstream region of MusD elements are more heavily methylated and are associated with less-activating and more-repressive histone modifications than the highly similar ETnII sequences. The internal region of MusD likely contributes to their silencing, as transgenes with MusD, compared to those with ETnII sequences, show reduced reporter gene expression and a higher level of repressive histone marks. Genomic distribution patterns of MusD and ETn elements are consistent with stronger selection against MusD elements within introns, suggesting that MusD-associated silencing marks can negatively impact genes. We propose a model in which nonautonomous retrotransposons may gain transcriptional and retrotranspositional advantages over their coding-competent counterparts by elimination of the CpG-rich retroviral sequence targeting the autonomous subfamilies for silencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are few reports regarding acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients with prosthetic heart valves (PHV), mostly attributing the ACS to a PHV-derived coronary embolus. Objective: To characterize a case-series of ACS patients with PHV. Methods: All patients in our institution with previous PHV surgery and ACS during 1996-2005 were retrospectively analysed. Results: We identified 40 patients from the 15,878 patient database, whose mean age was 72.5±12.5 years and of whom 21 were male. The majority (n=28) had mechanical valves; 24 patients (60%) had an aortic prosthetic valve, 9 patients (22.5%) had a mitral valve prosthesis and 7 patients (17.5%) had both. The majority of patients had ≥2 risk factors for atherosclerotic disease. The median time from the PHV implantation to the subsequent ACS was 8.0 (4.7-12.1) years. Most patients had non-ST-segment elevation ACS rather than ST-segment elevation ACS (32 patients versus 8 patients). 12 patients (30%) had moderate to severe left ventricular dysfunction and 2 of them presented with cardiogenic shock. Atrial fibrillation on hospital admission was noted in 13 patients (32.5%). ACS management included coronary angiography in 32 patients (80%) which revealed coronary disease in 93%. Only 2 patients had normal coronary arteries and PHV-derived coronary emboli. The most frequent in-hospital complication was heart failure (n=11, 27.5%). Conclusions: Patients with PHV and ACS are a rare subgroup, more likely to be elderly with risk factors for atherosclerotic disease and to present with non-ST-segment-elevation ACS. The pathogenesis for ACS is commonly coronary atherosclerotic disease rather than PHV-derived emboli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hoyler M., Freytag T. and Mager C. Connecting Rhine-Main: the production of multi-scalar polycentricities through knowledge-intensive business services, Regional Studies. Most of the literature on polycentric urban regions has focused on the analysis of intra-regional rather than external linkages, while research on the emergence of a 'world city network' has analysed external city relations without explicitly addressing city-regional contexts. This paper aims to bring both perspectives together. Drawing on Taylor's interlocking network model, it presents a first analysis of multi-scalar inter-city connectivities within a specific city-regional context. Central to the analysis is the question how knowledge-intensive business service firms in Rhine-Main connect this multi-nodal metropolitan region to other cities within Germany and beyond. The result is a detailed mapping of the business service connectivities of a major European city-region. [image omitted] Hoyler M., Freytag T. et Mager C... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse the country and industry impact on takeover premiums in Germany, France, the USA and the UK. We find that the level of takeover premiums is highly country specific. The industry only plays a minor role with the exception of the financial sector. Germany and France, both countries exhibit significantly lower premiums than the Anglo-Saxon countries. In Germany, these lower premiums are mainly driven by foreign bidders, in France the opposite holds true. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African brewing industry experienced enormous growth in the apartheid era, following the lifting of prohibition on the sale of 'European liquor' to Africans in 1961. Successive international brewers and local entrepreneurs sought to benefit from increased demand in the 1970s but were unable to withstand competition from South African Breweries (SAB), the dominant player in the industry. A decade of intense competition in the brewing industry ended with the intervention of the cabinet of the Afrikaner Nationalist government. SAB's status as 'sole supplier to the industry' remained virtually unchallenged until the demise of apartheid and the end of South Africa's international isolation. The end of apartheid and changes in the global brewing industry brought renewed competition to the South African beer market in the late 1990s and early 2000s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transference-focused psychotherapy and mentalization-based treatment are new psychoanalytic treatment forms for borderline patients. How do these forms of treatment differ and how are they alike? What interventions do they yield in clinical practice? In the past few years two methods of psychoanalytic treatment for borderline patients have been developed: transference-focused therapy and mentalization-based treatment. This paper explores the similarities and differences between them, with a special focus on how the different theories lead to different interventions in clinical practice. TFP takes the central problem to be the disorder in object relations, while MBT focuses on the self as agent. Further differences concern notions of the role of aggression, the presence of mental representations and the position of the therapist. Interventions formulated by therapists of both frames of reference in response to some therapy fragments differed substantially. Both theories share a desire to develop a psychoanalytical technique suitable for borderline patients, and both stress the central importance of the handling of the transference and of working in the here-and-now, as well as the necessity for effect research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. There are few data regarding the impact of prior heart failure (P‐HF) on the presentation, course and outcomes of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods and Results. We prospectively analyzed all ACS patients admitted in all cardiology wards in Israel during February and March, 2004. Of the 2098 patients, 156(7.4%) had P‐HF. These patients were older (75 [66.5–81] versus 63 [53–74] years, (P<0.001)) and more often female (38.5% versus 25.0%, P<0.001)), with a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease risk factors, prior cardiac disease and procedures, and other co‐morbidities. They more often presented with atypical angina and heart failure and less with ST‐elevation (18.6% versus 51.3%, p<0.0001). In‐hospital heart failure developed more frequently (15.4% versus 6.1%, p = 0.00001), including cardiogenic shock (7.1% versus 2.9%, p = 0.005), as did persistent atrial fibrillation (6.4% versus 0.7%, p<0.001), but not ischemic complications. After adjustment for differences, P‐HF was not independently associated with 30 day or six‐month mortality, but at one‐year follow‐up, it was (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.0–2.5). P‐HF was also independently associated with increased incidence of heart failure upon admission or thereafter in‐hospital (OR = 4.3, 95% CI 2.8–6.6). Conclusions. P‐HF ACS patients had high‐risk features, lower incidence of ST‐elevation, and higher one‐year adjusted mortality. P‐HF was also independently associated with in‐hospital heart failure, suggesting they should be monitored vigilantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A burgeoning literature on post-apartheid heritage configuration has largely overlooked the use of branding in the creation of heritage discourses in South Africa and the significance of liquor for national identity. This article brings these two concerns together through an examination of two heritage-scapes—the SAB World of Beer and the SAB Newlands Brewery Heritage Centre—constructed by South African Breweries (SAB) in 1995. It suggests that the commercial construction of heritage as branding provided a vehicle for a powerful corporate capitalist narrative in the post-apartheid rhetorical contestation over a desired path for the future. It also suggests that dissonance within and between these corporate visitors’ centres mirrored a wider uncertainty over the meaning of national identity in early post-apartheid South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photopolymeric matrices functionalized with optically active molecules are of special interest to elaborate low cost organic components for use in integrated optics. We have first studied the patterning of the optical properties using appropriate masks for the actinic light inducing the polymerization through a one-photon absorption process. The modulation of the refractive index can be used to make optical waveguides or quasi phase-matching structures. We have then studied, both experimentally and theoretically, the various growth forms of self-written waveguides created in the bulk of photopolymerizable resins under quasi-solitonic propagation conditions. By using another approach, we have taken advantage of the high spatial selectivity of the two-photon absorption procedure to design controlled optical polymerized pathways. As an example, we have realized fibers connections, Y-branch splittings, and finally, a passive Mach-Zehnder interferometer structure, opening the way to the fabrication of fully organic electro-optical modulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methods of bioinformatics, molecular modelling, and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) using regression and artificial neural network (ANN) analyses were applied to develop safer aldoxime antidotes against poisoning by organophosphorus (OP) agents with high, mean, and low aging rates. We start here from a molecular modelling of the mouse AChE at an atomistic level. Aim is to predict qualitatively the structural requirements of an aldoxime that shows an unique reactivating activity against the three classes of OPs. An antidotal action should occur by a three-site mechanism: the aldoxime groups of the first pyridinium ring should point towards the catalytic site, and the second pyridinium ring and its substituents should be anchored at the peripherical and anionic subsites. Based on this model, it is predicted that a suitable substituent is based on an arginine-like moiety. Then, an ANN-based QSAR analysis using a training set of aldoximes with known structure and activities was applied. Its input layer consisted of seven nodes: the group-membership descriptors that parameterize the type of the OP, the logarithms of the distribution coefficients at pH 7.4 and their squared term, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies, the scaled molar refractions of the substituents, and their squared term. It was shown that the qualitative prediction made by molecular modelling can be quantified by an ANN prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong hydrogen-bonding forces between the Thr26 and Thr26′ of the protease stabilize the internal cage of the dimeric triad of the aspartyl HIV-1 protease (Asp25Thr26Gly27 and Asp25′ Thr26′Gly27′, respectively). The interaction of reversible inhibitors of HIV-1 protease is based on (i) strong hydrogen-bonding forces between the main chain (--CONH--) oxygen atoms of Gly27 and/or Gly27′ and hydrogen-bond donating moieties of a drug, and (ii) hydrogen bonds between the oxygen of the catalytic Asp25 and/or Asp25′ carboxylates and aliphatic hydroxyl groups of a drug. The free entry of natural substrates into the active-site cavity is sterically hindered by inhibitors, so that the catalytic Asp carboxylates cannot interact with natural substrates. Irreversible inhibitors interact with the nucleophilic carboxylate moiety of Asp25 of HIV-1 protease by covalent bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]