Search

This article examines the Royal Netherlands Navy's (Koninklijke Marine, KM) use of Indonesian personnel. It considers why and how the KM employed indigenous personnel and how this usage impacted the KM's effectiveness as a military service. The article argues that the decision to use Indonesian personnel in naval forces in the Netherlands East Indies resulted in a peacetime advantage in terms of numbers of sailors on duty but ultimately a disadvantage in times of crisis when Indonesian sailors acted against the interests of the Netherlands state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Untreated hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can result in cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies are highly effective and have few side effects compared to older interferon-based therapy. Despite the Australian government providing subsidised and unrestricted access to DAA therapy for chronic HCV infection, uptake has not been sufficient to meet the global target of eliminating HCV as a public health threat by 2030. This study will offer people with HCV financial incentives of varying values in order to evaluate its effect on initiation of DAA therapy in primary care. Methods: Australian adults (18 years or older) who self-report as having current untreated HCV infection can register to participate via an automated SMS-based system. Following self-screening for eligibility, registrants are offered a financial incentive of randomised value (AUD 0 to 1000) to initiate DAA therapy. Study treatment navigators contact registrants who have consented to be contacted, to complete eligibility assessment, outline the study procedures (including the requirement for participants to consult a primary care provider), obtain consent, and finalise enrolment. Enrolled participants receive their offered incentive on provision of evidence of DAA therapy initiation within 12 weeks of registration (primary endpoint). Balanced randomisation is used across the incentive range until the first analysis, after which response-adaptive randomisation will be used to update the assignment probabilities. For the primary analysis, a Bayesian 4-parameter EMAX model will be used to estimate the dose–response curve and contrast treatment initiation at each incentive value against the control arm (AUD 0). Specified secondary statistical and economic analyses will evaluate the effect of incentives on adherence to DAA therapy, virological response, and cost-effectiveness. Discussion: This project seeks to gain an understanding of the dose–response relationship between incentive value and DAA treatment initiation, while maximising the number of people treated for HCV within fixed budget and time constraints. In doing so, we hope to offer policy-relevant recommendation(s) for the use of financial incentives as a pragmatic, efficient, and cost-effective approach to achieving elimination of HCV from Australia. Trial registration: ANZCTR (anzctr.org.au), Identifier ACTRN12623000024640, Registered 11 January 2023 (https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=384923&isReview=true). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the association between pro-inflammatory markers platelet-activating factor (PAF), lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), hsCRP, and intake of core food groups including fruit, cruciferous and other vegetables, grains, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, nuts and legumes, and dairy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. 100 adults (49 ± 13 years, 31% male) with variable cardiovascular disease risk were recruited. Data were collected in 2021 and 2022. Fasting PAF, Lp-PLA2 activity, hsCRP and usual dietary intake (via a validated food frequency questionnaire) were measured. Intake of foods were converted into serves and classified into food groups. Correlations and multiple regressions were performed with adjustment for confounders. Results: A one-serve increase in cruciferous vegetables per day was associated with 20–24% lower PAF levels. An increase of one serve per day of nuts and legumes was associated with 40% lower hsCRP levels. There were small correlations with PAF and Lp-PLA2 and cheese, however, these were not significant at the Bonferroni-adjusted P < 0.005 level. Conclusion: The lack of associations between PAF and Lp-PLA2 and other healthy foods may be due to confounding by COVID-19 infection and vaccination programs which prevents any firm conclusion on the relationship between PAF, Lp-PLA2 and food groups. Future research should aim to examine the relationship with these novel markers and healthy food groups in a non-pandemic setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the sources of bias in observational studies of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness. It highlights three main biases: case-counting window bias, age bias, and background infection rate bias. It illustrate how these biases can substantially affect vaccine effectiveness estimates in observational studies, potentially leading to overestimation of vaccine efficacy.

Against the backdrop of increasingly complex urban systems, grassroot communities in cities are rolling out small-scale initiatives as a way to address contemporary urban problems. However, the initiatives are not always in line with the formal planning conducted by the government. This study aims to investigate the interaction between the government and grassroots actors under the context of self-governed grassroots initiatives by using the 'Marginal School Community' social network structure in Yogyakarta as an example case. Using social network analysis with 77 actors entailed in the community's activities, this study shows an alternative interaction between the government and the grassroots within an action planning process. The paper reflects on these examples and suggests an alternative way that cities may be planned and governed in the future, adopting a more grassroots-based planning approach based on collaboration, negotiation and mutuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many police organisations employ and rely on public servants to complete specialised tasks with their organisations. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regularly hires public servants known as Detachment Services Assistants (DSAs) to take on various support roles. As part of DSAs' many clerical and administrative responsibilities, these workers must often perform emotional labour across different job tasks, which in turn, can be a personal yet occupationally mandated source of stress and strain. In the current study, we draw from semi-structured interviews with DSAs (n = 54) to investigate the different situations in which DSAs undertake emotional labour, the various styles of emotional labour DSAs perform, and the negative toll emotional labour places on DSAs in their workplace. Our research aims to contribute to the broader emotional labour literature on policing and the niche police literature on public servants, a form of civilian staff, employed by the RCMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel approach to providing greater insight into the characteristics of an unlabelled dataset, increasing the efficiency with which labelled datasets can be created. We leverage dimension-reduction techniques in combination with autoencoders to create an efficient feature representation for image tiles derived from remote sensing satellite imagery. The proposed methodology consists of two main stages. Firstly, an autoencoder network is utilised to reduce the high-dimensional image tile data into a compact and expressive latentfeature representation. Subsequently, features are further reduced to a two-dimensional embedding space using the manifold learning algorithm Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) and t-distributed Stochastic Neighbour Embedding (t-SNE). This step enables the visualization of the image tile clusters in a 2D plot, providing an intuitive and interactive representation that can be used to aid rapid and geographically distributed image labelling. To facilitate the labelling process, our approach allows users to interact with the 2D visualization and label clusters based on their domain knowledge. In cases where certain classes are not effectively separated, users can re-apply dimension reduction to interactively refine subsets of clusters and achieve better class separation, enabling a comprehensively labelled dataset. We evaluate the proposed approach on real-world remote sensing satellite image datasets and demonstrate its effectiveness in achieving accurate and efficient image tile clustering and labelling. Users actively participate in the labelling process through our interactive approach, leading to enhanced relevance of the labelled data, by allowing domain experts to contribute their expertise and enrich the dataset for improved downstream analysis and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early development of participatory and user-centred design practices discussed here is an important Nordic design innovation set against the role of student organizations in challenging traditional modes of design education. It provides detailed insights into design practices, including the pioneering work of Benktzon and Juhlin, in design for accessibility and the crucial role of trade unions in the development of participatory design in the late 1960s. They point to a fundamental divide between "design" and textile and fashion design in design histories, making the inclusion of this research in a design anthology more compelling. [Extracted from the article]

Social-emotional interventions (SEL) are purported to be beneficial toward all students, yet researchers call into question their effectiveness toward Black boys because of the limited SEL interventions that have been culturally adapted for them to account for their lived experiences (e.g. experiencing disparate discipline within schools). Within this review, we discuss the state of research on Black boys, provide an overview of SEL interventions, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the current SEL intervention research base. Next, we emphasize the need for culturally relevant SEL interventions and how practitioners can make SEL interventions culturally relevant for Black boys using a universal Afrocentric framework. Finally, this article highlights recommendations for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to improve the cultural adaptation of SEL interventions for Black boys to promote improved school outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine, KM), after being driven from the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) by the Japanese, stationed forces in Australia from 1942 to 1947. The article addresses prewar naval contacts between the KM and Australia, activities of KM ships and aircraft stationed in Australia during the war, and the KM’s postwar efforts to increase its forces and return to the NEI. The article argues that the KM presence in Australia was more important than is conveyed by the extant literature, because of Australia’s role as a wartime refuge, administration and training center, and supply source for the NEI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a rooted, binary phylogenetic network and a rooted, binary phylogenetic tree, can the tree be embedded into the network? This problem, called TREE CONTAINMENT, arises when validating networks constructed by phylogenetic inference methods. We present the first algorithm for (rooted) TREE CONTAINMENT using the treewidth t of the input network N as parameter, showing that the problem can be solved in 2O(t2)·|N| time and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart failure (HF) is a growing global health burden increasing in prevalence as the average age of the population rises. HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is defined as EF that is ≥50% and represents almost half of the population with HF. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring an association between HFpEF and statin use on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular rehospitalisation. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE via Ovid, The Cochrane Library for clinical trials in CENTRAL and Embase via Ovid for articles published between 1 January 2000 and 2 July 2021. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and evidence rated for quality using the GRADE approach. A total of 19 studies were included in the review. The analysis suggests a risk reduction of 27% for the statin exposed participants compared to the statin non-exposed participants (HR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.68–0.79) with regard to all-cause mortality. There is a low level of heterogeneity (I2 = 38%) associated with this result that has been accounted for by using a random effects model, however given the included studies are observational, the quality of the evidence is rated as low. Information on rehospitalisation was insufficient for determining the impact of statin use on rehospitalisations. Our meta-analysis revealed a reduction in all-cause mortality in patients with HFpEF on statin therapy. Considering the outcomes from this meta-analysis there is a need for high level studies to provide quality evidence on the use of statins in patients with HFpEF. • There is a lack of evidence-based management options for patients with preserved ejection fraction heart failure • This review showed a risk reduction in patients on statins for all-cause mortality • Considering that statins are widely available, the results show promising outcomes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the decision-making processes involved in giving physiotherapy students responsibility on clinical placement and the impact on their developing professional autonomy. The qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews, involved physiotherapy students and clinical educators (CEs) from two higher education institutions, one in Australia, and the other in the United Kingdom (UK). Findings led to the development of a heuristic framework of 'graduated supervision,' a process of progressively less direct observation and monitoring of students as clinical proficiency improved. By focusing on the measured exposure of students to increasing complexity and inverse levels of supervision, the framework captures tacit practices, and consistent, yet varied facilitation strategies adopted across specialties, and evident in clinical education settings in both countries. The framework formalizes, for the first time, assumptions and expectations previously unacknowledged. Factors identified as affecting students' progress toward autonomy include the student/CE relationship, the development of mutual trust through ongoing dialogue, and the importance of formal discussions at the commencement of a clinical placement to establish learning goals, preferred supervision styles and learner responsibilities. Insights have significance for the CE community, and students who at times have to second-guess what is required of them and how they might excel on clinical placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular automation is a flexible and reliable option to build the foundation of a new or evolving process or to introduce automation to a process that is already established. Herein the authors demonstrate that modular automation provides both high-quality and high-yield T-cell products. Cells from three individual donors collected on an automated continuous flow centrifugation system were successfully expanded in a functionally closed, automated, perfusion-based hollow fiber bioreactor. These cells were then prepared for cryopreservation in an automated closed-system device that maintains temperature and aliquots a mixed cell product and cryoprotectant into product bags. Cell product bags were thawed and expanded in flasks. Samples taken throughout this manufacturing process were analyzed for cell phenotype, exhaustion markers and functionality. The proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was maintained through each step, from pre-expansion and post-expansion to immediately after thaw and 24 h after thaw. Interestingly, phenotypic markers such as CD45RO, CD45RA and CCR7 evolved throughout the process and stem-like memory T cells emerged as the predominant phenotype in the clinically relevant 24-h post-thaw sample. Modular automation supported the generation of stem-like memory T cells that were not terminally exhausted and were able to produce effector cytokines upon restimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The premise of Williams et al. (2021), however, does imply an important distinction between waterfowl conservation and bobwhite conservation; population objectives exist for some waterfowl species at flyway and continental scales but not for bobwhites. We argue throughout that federal policy and coordination alone would not have prevented the major problems facing bobwhite conservation today; however, federal collaboration with states, non-governmental organizations (NGO), landowners, and hunters is encouraged to enhance bobwhite conservation in the future. Bobwhites are not waterfowl. We do believe that the bobwhite community would benefit from more research involving decision science, conservation planning, ecosystem services, and human dimensions, among other topics, to improve conservation design but no more so than waterfowl conservation. [Extracted from the article]

PyPWA is a toolkit designed to optimize parametric models describing data and generate simulated distributions according to a model. Its software has been written within the python ecosystem with the goal of performing Amplitude or Partial Wave Analysis (PWA) in nuclear and particle physics experiments. We briefly describe the general features of amplitude analysis and we provide a description of the PyPWA software design and usage. We also provide benchmarks of the scaling and an example of its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the complexity of stuttering behavior. It described and classified the complexity of stuttering behavior in relation to age, behavioral treatment outcomes, stuttering severity, anxiety-related mental health, impact of stuttering, and gender. Method: For this study, a taxonomy was developed--LBDL-C7--which was based on the Lidcombe Behavioral Data Language of stuttering. It was used by five experienced judges to analyze the complexity of stuttering behavior for 84 adults and adolescents before and after speech restructuring treatment. Data were 3,100 stuttering moments, which were analyzed with nominal logistic regression. Results: The complexity of stuttering behavior appears not to change as a result of treatment, but it does appear to change with advancing age. Complexity of stuttering behavior was found to be independently associated with clinician stuttering severity scores but not with percentage of syllables stuttered or self-reported stuttering severity. Complexity of stuttering behavior was not associated with gender, anxiety, or impact of stuttering. Conclusion: Clinical and research applications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine propellers operate under severe service conditions and experience various corrosion forms. Electrochemical, mechanical, and biological corrosion are the three main common types of corrosion that occur on marine propellers. Electrolysis (electrolytic corrosion), being one of the electrochemical corrosion forms, has been extensively observed on marine propellers. It is the forced introduction of an external current in metals when submerged in seawater. However, it has rarely been studied for marine propellers, mostly on underground pipelines. This paper investigates the effect of electrolysis on a chromium-containing coating on copper substrate by studying the surface and cross-sectional microstructure of the substrate. It is likely that cathodic disbondment caused by high alkalinity and hydrogen evolution at the defect location were the primary reasons contributing to the failure of the coating, and the silver-colored layer deposition around the delaminated area is the corrosion product of copper–chromium oxide. The purpose of this study is to understand the electrolysis corrosion mechanism on Cu substrate and to develop a highly effective anticorrosion coating for marine propellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether there has been an increase in postpartum depression (PPD) over the generation remains unknown. This study aimed to compare the prevalence in two cohorts of young Australian women born 17 years apart and identified the factors associated with any generational differences. Participants were from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, who gave birth between ages 18 and 27 (born in 1973–78 and 1989–95). PPD prevalence was calculated as the percentage of births associated with PPD. Both the prevalence of PPD diagnoses (among 1,610 births) and PPD symptoms (among 953 births) were compared. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to report generational differences in the prevalence for PPD diagnoses; Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs used for PPD symptoms. Factors that differed between cohorts and were associated with PPD diagnoses or PPD symptoms were adjusted. The prevalence of both PPD diagnoses (21.4% vs 10.3%; crude RR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.59–2.60) and symptoms (20.1% vs 13.3%; crude HR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.15–2.34) were higher in the 1989–1995 cohort than the 1973–1978 cohort. Generational differences in PPD diagnoses persisted after controlling for potential contributors (RR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.15–2.04), while generational differences in PPD symptoms were attenuated (HR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.64–1.49). Of all contributing factors, a history of depression explained most of the generational differences, especially in PPD symptoms (49%), to the extent that when the study sample was stratified by history of depression, no generational differences were detected (without prior depression, HR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.20–2.08; with prior depression, HR: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.71–1.96). The higher prevalence of PPD in the recent generation was mainly due to the high prevalence of depression. Strategies that well manage pre-existing depression may benefit the prevention of PPD for the current young generation. Further research is warranted to inform detailed prevention approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study evaluated whether a consumer codesigned leaflet about the common skin infection cellulitis would improve patient satisfaction. Methods. A patient information leaflet was codesigned with consumers incorporating health literacy principles and attached to a new adult lower limb cellulitis management plan launched in three regional Victorian health services. Health service staff were educated to provide the leaflet during hospital care. Patients discharged with a diagnosis of cellulitis in an 8-month period were followed-up via telephone between 31 and 60 days after their discharge. Each patient was asked to provide feedback on the utility of the leaflet (if received) and their overall satisfaction with the information provided to them using a five-point scale (with scores of 4 or 5 considered to indicate satisfaction). Results. In all, 81 of 127 (64%) patients (or carers) were contactable, consented to the study and answered the questions. Of these, 27% (n = 22) reported receiving, accepting and reading the leaflet. The proportion of patients who were satisfied with the information provided to them about cellulitis was 100% for those who received the leaflet, compared with 78% for those who did not receive the leaflet (95% confidence interval 4.8-34%; P = 0.02). Conclusion. The provision of a consumer codesigned leaflet increased patient satisfaction with the information received about cellulitis. Real-world strategies to embed the delivery of such resources are required to ensure that more patients receive the benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The form of the Greek temple responded to multiple purposes, influences and concepts, although one of these, that of offering, deserves more attention than it has received to date. The fundamental status of offering for Greek religion and its societal expression resulted in sanctuaries being choc-a-bloc with all manner of dedications, some of which represented the finest displays of artistic merit, workmanship, materials and cost that could be afforded. Indeed, as is well known, much of the Greek art on view in modern museums originally had the status of offerings made for dedication in sanctuaries. While it is true that some scholars of religion have noted that temples too were offerings, amongst other things, the implications have generally gone unnoticed. After reviewing the various functions of temples, this essay identifies nuances of offering in their plan, size, elevation, architectural elements, ornamentation and quality. This helps us to appreciate temples as cultural manifestations akin to everything else in the sanctuaries. As works of architecture the form of the Greeks' temples responded to multiple issues (construction, precedent, influences and so on), but now we can see how their visual treatment subtly and yet eloquently reflected their very nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine whether acute respiratory infection (ARI) decision aids and a general practitioner (GP) training package reduces antibiotic dispensing rate and improves GPs' knowledge of antibiotic benefit-harm evidence.Methods: A cluster randomized trial of 27 Australian general practices (13 intervention, 14 control) involving 122 GPs. Intervention group GPs were given brief decision aids for 3 ARIs (acute otitis media, acute sore throat, acute bronchitis) and video-delivered training. Primary outcome was dispensing rate of target antibiotic classes (routinely used for ARIs), extracted for 12 months before, and following, randomization. Secondary outcomes were GPs' knowledge of antibiotic benefit-harm evidence; prescribing influences; acceptability, usefulness, and self-reported resource use; and dispensing rate of all antibiotics.Results: The baseline mean dispensing rate of ARI-related antibiotics was 3.5% (intervention GPs) and 3.2% (control GPs) of consultations. After 12 months, mean rates decreased (to 2.9% intervention; 2.6% control): an 18% relative reduction from baseline but similar in both groups (rate ratio 1.01; 95% CI, 0.89-1.15). Greater increases in knowledge were seen in the intervention group than control; a significant increase (average 3.6; 95% CI, 2.4-4.7, P <.001) in the number of correct responses to the 22 knowledge questions. There were no between-group differences for other secondary outcomes. The intervention was well received, perceived as useful, and reported as used by about two-thirds of intervention GPs.Conclusions: A brief shared decision-making intervention provided to GPs did not reduce antibiotic dispensing more than usual care, although GPs' knowledge of relevant benefit-harm evidence increased significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine propellers work under severe service conditions, where they commonly suffer from mechanical, electrochemical, and biological corrosion damage. The major mechanical corrosion involves cavitation, erosion, and impingement corrosion. On the other hand, the major electrochemical corrosion involves galvanic corrosion and electrolysis. As a result, consideration of both desired mechanical and electrochemical properties is necessary when designing a marine propeller coating. In this study, a PVB (polyvinyl butyral) and an epoxy coating were formulated without corrosion inhibitors to investigate the desired coating properties for marine propeller applications. The two coatings were compared with a Cr-containing commercial marine propeller coating to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of using PVB and epoxy for marine propeller coatings. It was found that it is desirable for marine propeller coatings to be flexible to avoid cracking and flaking; to be able to withstand high pH in order to resist cathodic disbondment (electrolysis); to have adequate primer–substrate adhesion; and, ideally, to be able to self-heal when the coating is damaged (cavitation). It was found that the PVB-ZO coating has more desirable properties, and introducing self-healing properties could be one of the options for further optimization in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lieven Ameel's book The Narrative Turn in Urban Planning offers a critical examination of the role of narratives and story-telling in questions concerning urban planning in future deliberations of urban change. The discussion provides an excellent way to identify, define and construct our understanding about narratives in and of planning, including the construction of a typology for the first time. But narratives of and for planning tend to mask wider meta-narrative issues that will affect how places are shaped and are changed in the future. These drivers of change not only encompass a range of socio-economic and environmental challenges. They will also have profound implications for our use of technology, and for the way our democratic processes operate. Such dramatic changes will impact on the context and form of planning, wherever you are in the world. And we are likely to see greater polarisation in attitudes toward urban and regional change, some of which may not only be proactive, but deeply reactive, subjective and selective. If the narrative turn will become more prominent in planning, we need to be ready for the likely proliferation of disruptive and insurgent narratives that will emerge and reflect the deep-seated vested interests that possess stakes in how and whether places change on their terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maximum parsimony distance is a measure used to quantify the dissimilarity of two unrooted phylogenetic trees. It is NP-hard to compute, and very few positive algorithmic results are known due to its complex combinatorial structure. Here we address this shortcoming by showing that the problem is fixed parameter tractable. We do this by establishing a linear kernel i.e., that after applying certain reduction rules the resulting instance has size that is bounded by a linear function of the distance. As powerful corollaries to this result we prove that the problem permits a polynomial-time constant-factor approximation algorithm; that the treewidth of a natural auxiliary graph structure encountered in phylogenetics is bounded by a function of the distance; and that the distance is within a constant factor of the size of a maximum agreement forest of the two trees, a well studied object in phylogenetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous literature suggests a positive association between history of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and development of postpartum depression (PPD); however, limited evidence has come from prospective population-based studies and whether history of depression affects this association is unknown.Methods: This study included 5479 women from the 1973-78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health and estimated the association between pre-pregnancy PMS and PPD. Participants were followed from 22-27 years in 2000 to 37-42 years in 2015. PMS was collected from a 4-category Likert-scale reporting on frequency of PMS in the last 12 months (never, rarely, sometimes, or often) at the survey preceding an index birth. PPD was ascertained from reports of doctor diagnoses for each birth. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the association of interest. The role of history of depression was assessed by testing its interaction with pre-pregnancy PMS.Results: During 15 years' follow-up, 15.4% of participating women reported PPD; and 55.1% reported PMS (rarely: 17.2%, sometimes: 25.7%, and often: 12.2%). Compared to women who had no PMS before pregnancy, those who rarely had PMS had similar risk of PPD (1.03, 0.82-1.30); whereas those who sometimes or often had PMS had significantly higher risk of PPD (1.31, 1.09-1.57 and 1.51, 1.22-1.87, respectively). History of depression did not affect the association.Limitations: PMS was self-reported. PMS severity was not collected.Conclusions: This large population-based study provides evidence of a dose-response relationship between PMS prior to pregnancy and PPD, independent of history of depression. Evidence to date suggests PMS has the potential to help identify women at increased risk of PPD before pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Temporal trends of healthcare use in the period before a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis are poorly understood. We investigated trends in respiratory symptoms and LR HRU in the 10 years prior to diagnosis. Methods: We analysed a primary care clinical cohort database (UK OPCRD) and assessed patients aged ≥40 years who had an electronically coded diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis between 2005 and 2015 and a minimum 2 years of continuous medical records prior to diagnosis. Exclusion criteria consisted of electronic codes for recognized causes of pulmonary fibrosis such as CTD, sarcoidosis or EAA. Results: Data for 2223 patients were assessed. Over the 10 years prior to diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis, there was a progressive increase in HRU across multiple LR‐related domains. Five years before diagnosis, 18% of patients had multiple healthcare contacts for LR complaints; this increased to 79% in the year before diagnosis, with 38% of patients having five or more healthcare contacts. Conclusion: There are opportunities to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis at an earlier stage; research into case‐finding algorithms and strategies to educate primary care physicians is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive treatment for chronic refractory pain secondary to spinal compression fracture. This study investigates racial and socioeconomic disparities in kyphoplasty among the Medicare population. Materials and Methods: This study utilized data from the Medicare Limited Data Sets (LDS), a CMS administrative claims database. Patients aged 18 and older with ICD code consistent with spinal pathology and compression fractures were included. Outcome was defined as kyphoplasty by race and socioeconomic status (SES) with low SES defined by dual enrollment in Medicare/Medicaid. Results: There was a total of 215,502 patients gathered from CMS data, and 717 (0.33%) of these patients underwent kyphoplasty during the study period. Of these patients, 458 (63.8%) were female, the average age was 76.5 years old, 655 (91.3%) were White, 20 (2.7%) were Black, 9 (1.3%) were Hispanic, and 98 (13.7%) were Medicare/Medicaid dual eligible. White patients (32,317/157,177 [20.6%]) were less likely to be dual enrollment eligible in Medicare and Medicaid than Black (5407/13,522 [39.9%]), Hispanic (2833/3675 [77.1%]), Asian (2087/3312 [63.0%]), or North American Native patients (778/1578 [49.1%]). Multivariate regression (MVR) analysis was performed and showed that Blacks were less likely than Whites to have a kyphoplasty performed (OR 0.46 [95% CI: 0.29–0.72], p‐value <0.001). Although Hispanics (OR 0.95 [0.49–1.86]), North American Native (OR 0.82 [0.3–2.19]), and unknown race had a decreased odd of undergoing kyphoplasty, it was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study showed after adjustment for pertinent comorbidities, Medicare/Medicaid dual‐eligible patients and Black patients were significantly less likely to receive kyphoplasty than White patients with Medicare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess contributions of dietary and genetic factors to ethnic differences in AMD prevalence. Population-based analytical study. In the Blue Mountains Eye Study, Australia (European ancestry n = 2826) and Multi-Ethnic Cohort Study, Singapore (Asian ancestry, n = 1900), AMD was assessed from retinal photographs. Patterns of dietary composition and scores of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index were computed using food frequency questionnaire data. Genetic susceptibility to AMD was determined using either single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the complement factor H and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 genes, or combined odds-weighted genetic risk scores of 24 AMD-associated SNPs. Associations of AMD with ethnicity, diet, and genetics were assessed using logistic regression. Six potential mediators covering genetic, diet and lifestyle factors were assessed for their contributions to AMD risk difference between the two samples using mediation analyses. Age-standardized prevalence of any (early or late) AMD was higher in the European (16%) compared to Asian samples (9%, p <.01). Mean AMD-related genetic risk scores were also higher in European (33.3 ± 4.4) than Asian (Chinese) samples (31.7 ± 3.7, p <.001). In a model simultaneously adjusting for age, ethnicity, genetic susceptibility and Alternative Healthy Eating Index scores, only age and genetic susceptibility were significantly associated with AMD. Genetic risk scores contributed 19% of AMD risk difference between the two samples while intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids contributed 7.2%. Genetic susceptibility to AMD was higher in European compared to Chinese samples and explained more of the AMD risk difference between the two samples than the dietary factors investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing academic and policy interest in the notion of using cities as 'living laboratories' to develop and test responses to the social, environmental and economic challenges present in contemporary urbanism. These living laboratories are often assumed to function through 'quadruple helix' relations between varied actors from the public, private, university and community sectors. However, empirical research that explores the real-world functioning of these arrangements is comparatively limited. This paper will help address this gap through the case of Newcastle City Futures (NCF) – a university-anchored platform for collaborative urban foresight research, public engagement and innovation. In particular, the paper will concentrate on a two-year period when NCF focused on the facilitation of innovation demonstrator projects guided by the vision of Newcastle upon Tyne developing a postindustrial future as a 'test-bed city'. Detailed empirical accounts of the development of two demonstrator projects are used to illustrate and analyse processes of cross-sectoral collaboration and engaging the public in co-design. These are used to support the conceptual argument that the presence of the quadruple helix as a form of local innovation system should not be taken as given. Instead, the collaborative relationships required for transformational interventions in the future of cities need to be actively constructed by diverse actors and supported by intermediary vehicles such as NCF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collaboration during World War II (1939-45) between the British Royal Navy (RN) and the navies-in-exile of Poland, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece necessitated the creation of a liaison system between senior naval officers to ensure the effective integration of Allied navies into RN commands. This article's purpose is to explain the RN's World War II senior-level naval liaison system. It addresses the origin, duties, and evolution of the office of Principal Liaison Officer, Allied Navies (PNLO), and evaluates how the liaison office influenced the relationship between the RN and the Allied navies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In tracing the development of increased polarization in the United States, numerous scholars have noted the apparent importance of the American Political Science Association's (APSA's) Committee on Political Parties. The committee's influential (and often criticized) report, Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System, called for a wholesale transformation of political parties in the United States. On its publication in October 1950, political scientists quickly concluded that, taken together, the committee's recommendations represented a reworking of a distinct approach, usually known as "party government" or "responsible party government." (The origins of responsible parties dated back to Woodrow Wilson's classic 1885 text Congressional Government.) Since then, the notion of party government has become a core issue in the study of American political parties, albeit a contentious one. A recent survey ranked the APSA document at seventh as a canonical text in graduate syllabi concerning parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulatory protein glycosylation is a biomarker of multiple disease and inflammatory states and has been applied in the clinic for liver dysfunction, heart disease and diabetes. With the notable exception of antibodies, the liver produces most of the circulatory glycoproteins, including the acute phase proteins released as a function of the inflammatory response. Among these proteins is β-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal1), an enzyme required for α2,6-linked sialylation of glycoproteins. Here, we describe a hepatocyte-specific conditional knockout of ST6Gal1 (H-cKO) using albumin promoter-driven Cre-lox recombination. We confirm the loss of circulatory glycoprotein α2,6 sialylation and note no obvious dysfunction or pathology in young H-cKO mice, yet these mice show robust changes in plasma glycoprotein fucosylation, branching and the abundance of bisecting GlcNAc and marked changes in a number of metabolic pathways. As H-cKO mice aged, they spontaneously developed fatty liver disease characterized by the buildup of fat droplets in the liver, inflammatory cytokine production and a shift in liver leukocyte phenotype away from anti-inflammatory Kupffer cells and towards proinflammatory M1 macrophages. These findings connect hepatocyte and circulatory glycoprotein sialylation to the regulation of metabolism and inflammation, potentially identifying the glycome as a new target for liver-driven disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genuine engagement about how best to achieve liveable urban futures should be part of planning's raison-d'etre but it has a chequered history of delivery. Exhibitions harnessing the communicative power of mixed media and linked to a progressive and responsive programme of focused discussion and debate remain relevant to community consultation and civic engagement. Terry Farrell's concept of the 'urban room' to involve citizens in engaging with the past, present, and future of towns and cities offers a contemporary refreshment of the approach propounded by Patrick Geddes from the early 1900s. The possibilities of creating novel and compelling opportunities for civic discourse in this guise are explored in this review article though the Newcastle City Futures pop-up exhibition and events held in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK in 2014. This event carries lessons for imagining how planners, developers, governments, and community groups may come together to critically and creatively forge future propositions for the urban condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is thought to be a risk factor for postpartum depression (PPD), but results from studies examining the association have been mixed. To estimate the association between pre-pregnancy history of PMS and development of PPD and evaluate the risk of bias of included evidence. PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and reference lists of relevant papers were searched. Observational studies that collected pre-pregnancy history of PMS and measured PPD status between one week and one year after delivery were included. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Random-effect models were used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Small study effect was analysed by funnel plot. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias Instrument for Non-Randomized Studies of Exposures (ROBINS-E). Our meta-analysis included 19 studies. Overall, women with a pre-pregnancy history of PMS had more than double the odds of PPD compared to those without PMS (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.81–2.68). However, the quality of evidence was low: five studies had moderate risk, eleven studies had serious risk, and three studies had critical risk of bias. Current evidence supports a significant association between history of PMS and development of PPD. Well-designed prospective studies are needed to further investigate this relationship. • PMS may be a risk factor for postpartum depression, but with mixed findings to date. • This study synthesised evidence from papers published in English and Chinese. • From meta-analysis a positive association between the two conditions was identified. • Women with a history of PMS had double the odds of developing postpartum depression. • Good-quality prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Is age at natural menopause (ANM) associated with the development of multiple chronic conditions (multimorbidity) in postmenopausal life?Summary Answer: Women with premature menopause experience increased odds of developing individual chronic conditions and multimorbidity.What Is Known Already: ANM is considered as a marker of age-related morbidity and mortality in postmenopausal life. Multimorbidity affects more than 60% of older women and has been recognized as the most common 'chronic condition'. Few studies have examined the association between ANM and the development of multimorbidity.Study Design, Size, Duration: A prospective national cohort study of 11 258 Australian women, aged 45-50 years in 1996. Women were followed from 1996 to 2016.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Information about ANM and 11 chronic conditions (diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, anxiety and breast cancer) were estimated approximately every 3 years. Multimorbidity is defined as 2 or more of these 11 conditions. Generalized estimating equations were used to link the categorical ANM with individual chronic conditions and multimorbidity.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: Among 5107 women reporting ANM, 2.3% experienced premature menopause (≤40 years) and 55.1% developed multimorbidity. Compared with women who experienced menopause at age 50-51 years, women with premature menopause had twice the odds of experiencing multimorbidity by age 60 (OR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.31 to 2.98) and three times the odds of developing multimorbidity in their 60s (OR = 3.03, 95% CI 1.62 to 5.64). Women with premature menopause also experienced higher incidence of most individual chronic conditions.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: The main limitation of this study was the use of self-reported data, but with repeated assessments from prospective study design and the validity of most of the chronic conditions from hospital data, the potential for non-differential misclassification is minimized.Wide Implications Of the Findings: To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the association of premature menopause and development of multimorbidity in a larger national cohort of mid-aged women. Health professionals should consider comprehensive screening and assessment of risk factors for multimorbidity when treating women who experienced premature menopause.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health was supported by the Australian Government Department of Health. X.X. is funded by an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship from the Australian government and a UQ Centennial Scholarship from The University of Queensland. G.D.M. is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council Principal Research Fellowship (APP1121844). None of the authors has any conflicts of interest to declare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horticultural robots designed for in-field use usually require a means of transportation around orchards or farms. A common approach is to directly integrate a drive system – at the expense of increasing overall complexity. Alternatively, robots can be modularised and attached to general purpose platforms. General purpose platforms reported previously are designed to carry relatively light payloads orientated toward ground based crops. This paper presents a heavy-duty platform, capable of carrying modules of up to 1000 kg, beneath 1.4 m high pergola-style kiwifruit canopies. We discuss the design of the vehicle's software, electrical system, and mechanical structure. Sensors suitable for autonomous navigation are evaluated in-orchard and tested with prototype algorithms. Row following trials show a repeatability of within ± 75 mm using only a multi-layer lidar. With a method of automatically turning between rows, the vehicle traversed over 10 km of orchard rows unassisted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fully-parallelized work-time optimal algorithm is presented for computing the exact Euclidean Distance Transform (EDT) of a 2D binary image with the size of $n\times n$. Unlike existing PRAM (Parallel Random Access Machine) and other algorithms, this algorithm is suitable for implementation on modern SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) architectures such as GPUs. As a fundamental operation of 2D EDT, 1D EDT is efficiently parallelized first. Specifically, the GPU algorithm for the 1D EDT, which uses CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) binary functions, such as ballot(), ffs(), clz(), and shfl(), runs in $O(log_{32}n)$ time and performs $O(n)$ work. Using the 1D EDT as a fundamental operation, the fully-parallelized work-time optimal 2D EDT algorithm is designed. This algorithm consists of three steps. Step 1 of the algorithm runs in $O(log_{32}n)$ time and performs $O(N)$ ($N = n^{2}$) of total work on GPU. Step 2 performs $O(N)$ of total work and has an expected time complexity of $O(logn)$ on GPU. Step 3 runs in $O(log_{32}n)$ time and performs $O(N)$ of total work on GPU. As far as we know, this algorithm is the first fully-parallelized and realized work-time optimal algorithm for GPUs. The experimental results show that this algorithm outperforms the prior state-of-the-art GPU algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T lymphocytes, a key arm of adaptive immunity, are known to dynamically regulate O-glycosylation during T cell maturation and when responding to stimuli; however, the direct role of O-glycans in T cell maturation remains largely unknown. Using a conditional knockout of the gene (C1GalT1C1 or Cosmc) encoding the specific chaperone Cosmc , we generated mice whose T cells lack extended O-glycans (T cell conditional Cosmc knock out or TCKO mice) and homogeneously express the truncated Tn antigen. Loss of Cosmc is highly deleterious to T cell persistence, with near-complete elimination of Cosmc -null T cells from spleen and lymph nodes. Total T cell counts are 20% of wild type (WT), among which only 5% express the truncated glycans, with the remaining 95% consisting of escapers from Cre -mediated recombination. TCKO thymocytes were able to complete thymic maturation but failed to populate the secondary lymphoid organs both natively and upon adoptive transfer to WT recipients. Our results demonstrate that extended O-glycosylation is required for the establishment and maintenance of the peripheral T cell population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several treatment approaches are available for adults who stutter, including speech treatment, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) treatment for anxiety, and a combination of both. It is useful to determine whether any differences exist between adults who stutter enrolled in different types of treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare demographic, speech, and psychological characteristics of adults who stutter enrolled in speech, psychological, and combined treatment programs. Participants were 288 adults who stuttered (18–80 years) enrolled in one of three different treatment programs: Speech Treatment for stuttering (n = 134), Anxiety Treatment for anxiety about stuttering (n = 70), or Speech Treatment for Stuttering With or Without Anxiety Treatment (n = 84). Participants completed a range of demographic, speech, and psychological measures prior to the start of treatment. A significantly higher proportion of participants in the Anxiety Treatment group were in a personal relationship than the other treatment groups. The Anxiety Treatment group had higher average age than the other treatment groups. The Speech Treatment group also demonstrated significantly higher self-rated stuttering severity than the Anxiety Treatment group, even though there were no significant difference between groups for clinician-rated percentage of syllables stuttered. Although most characteristics of adults who stuttered did not vary by treatment type, the present findings suggest that adults who stutter enrolled in speech treatment perceived their stuttering as more severe, which may have prompted treatment seeking. Further research is needed regarding the supportive influence of personal relationship for those with the disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfect phylogenies are fundamental in the study of evolutionary trees because they capture the situation when each evolutionary trait emerges only once in history; if such events are believed to be rare, then by Occam's Razor such parsimonious trees are preferable as a hypothesis of evolution. A classical result states that 2-state characters permit a perfect phylogeny precisely if each subset of 2 characters permits one. More recently, it was shown that for 3-state characters the same property holds but for size-3 subsets. A long-standing open problem asked whether such a constant exists for each number of states. More precisely, it has been conjectured that for any fixed number of states |$r$| there exists a constant |$f(r)$| such that a set of |$r$| -state characters |$C$| has a perfect phylogeny if and only if every subset of at most |$f(r)$| characters has a perfect phylogeny. Informally, the conjecture states that checking fixed-size subsets of characters is enough to correctly determine whether input data permits a perfect phylogeny, irrespective of the number of characters in the input. In this article, we show that this conjecture is false. In particular, we show that for any constant |$t$|⁠ , there exists a set |$C$| of |$8$| -state characters such that |$C$| has no perfect phylogeny, but there exists a perfect phylogeny for every subset of at most |$t$| characters. Moreover, there already exists a perfect phylogeny when ignoring just one of the characters, independent of which character you ignore. This negative result complements the two negative results ("strikes") of Bodlaender et al. (1992 , 2000). We reflect on the consequences of this third strike, pointing out that while it does close off some routes for efficient algorithm development, many others remain open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method has been developed and analytically validated for the analysis of purgeable mercury in caustic nuclear waste. Using multivariate optimization method, purge flow rate was determined to be highly correlated with increased response (p = 0.023). Total recovery of spiked purgeable mercury from deionized water was 99.4 ± 10.6% and 91.6 ± 14.9% from spiked high-activity tank waste samples. Calibration, by external calibration and standard addition calibration, maintained a mean accuracy of 101 ± 5% and 99.9 ± 1.7%, respectively. This method represents a decrease in sample handling and processing over currently standard methods and represents a more amenable method for purgeable mercury analysis in liquid nuclear waste. This validated method has been applied to liquid waste samples from high-activity waste tanks at Savannah River Site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World War II was the testing ground for multinational naval operations, particularly the British Royal Navy's association with the European navies- in-exile from Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece. In order for the Allied ships to operate alongside British vessels, it was necessary to place a liaison staff on each foreign ship. This article explains how the liaison system worked, describes what life was like for liaison personnel on a foreign ship, and evaluates the effectiveness of the liaison system. The article is based on documents from the British National Archives and first-person accounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multinational naval operations have become almost routine for western navies, but little is known about how navies came to work together cohesively. This article suggests that the naval cooperation formalized by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after World War II had its roots in the wartime experience of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN), which incorporated the remnants of European navies driven from the continent by Germany. In particular, the article analyzes the RN's 9th Submarine Flotilla based at Dundee, Scotland (1940- 45), which comprised British, Polish, Free French, Norwegian, and Dutch submarines, for lessons concerning successful multinational naval operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Germans' attempt during World War II to use an air mast (schnorkel) on submerged submarines to reduce their heavy losses is reasonably well known to naval historians. What is not well known, especially to those historians using English-language sources, is how the Germans came to deploy such a novel approach to operating diesel-powered submarines. This article explains the Dutch contribution to the development of the schnorkel. The article discusses the Italian version of the schnorkel, the Dutch invention and use of the schnorkel, the German adaptation of the Dutch technology, and the British experimentation with a schnorkel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]