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Polyureas have widespread applications due to their unique material properties. Because of the toxicity of isocyanates, sustainable isocyanate-free routes to prepare polyureas are a field of active research. Current routes to isocyanate-free polyureas focus on constructing the urea moiety in the final polymerizing step. In this study we present a new isocyanate-free method to produce polyureas by Ru-catalyzed carbene insertion into the N-H bonds of urea itself in combination with a series of bis-diazo compounds as carbene precursors. The mechanism was investigated by kinetics and DFT studies, revealing the rate-determining step to be nucleophilic attack on a Ru-carbene moiety by urea. This study paves the way to use transition-metal-catalyzed reactions in alternative routes to polyureas.

A heteroleptic supramolecular square containing perylene-diimide moieties features photocatalytic activity for dehalogenation reactions, influenced by substrate binding.

Fibrous networks are essential structural components of biological and engineered materials. Accordingly, many approaches have been developed to quantify their structural properties, which define their material properties. However, a comprehensive overview and comparison of methods is lacking. Therefore, we systematically searched for automated tools quantifying network characteristics in confocal, stimulated emission depletion (STED) or scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and compared these tools by applying them to fibrin, a prototypical fibrous network in thrombi. Structural properties of fibrin such as fiber diameter and alignment are clinically relevant, since they influence the risk of thrombosis. Based on a systematic comparison of the automated tools with each other, manual measurements, and simulated networks, we provide guidance to choose appropriate tools for fibrous network quantification depending on imaging modality and structural parameter. These tools are often able to reliably measure relative changes in network characteristics, but absolute numbers should be interpreted with care. Statement of significance: Structural properties of fibrous networks define material properties of many biological and engineered materials. Many methods exist to automatically quantify structural properties, but an overview and comparison is lacking. In this work, we systematically searched for all publicly available automated analysis tools that can quantify structural properties of fibrous networks. Next, we compared them by applying them to microscopy images of fibrin networks. We also benchmarked the automated tools against manual measurements or synthetic images. As a result, we give advice on which automated analysis tools to use for specific structural properties. We anticipate that researchers from a large variety of fields, ranging from thrombosis and hemostasis to cancer research, and materials science, can benefit from our work.

Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is among the most developed technologies for green hydrogen generation. Despite the tremendous achievements in boosting the catalytic activity of the electrode, the operating current density of modern water electrolyzers is yet much lower than the emerging approaches such as the proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). One of the dominant hindering factors is the high overpotentials induced by the gas bubbles. Herein, the bubble dynamics via creating the superaerophobic electrode assembly is optimized. The patterned Co-Ni phosphide/spinel oxide heterostructure shows complete wetting of water droplet with fast spreading time (≈300 ms) whereas complete underwater bubble repelling with 180° contact angle is achieved. Besides, the current collector/electrode interface is also modified by coating with aerophobic hydroxide on Ti current collector. Thus, in the zero-gap water electrolyzer test, a current density of 3.5 A cm

Purpose This study aimed to establish the functional impact of displacement of urogenital organs after abdominoperineal resection (APR) using validated questionnaires. Methods Patients who underwent APR for primary or recurrent rectal cancer (2001–2018) with evaluable pre- and postoperative radiological imaging and completed urinary (UDI-6, IIQ-7) and sexual questionnaires (male, IIEF; female, FSFI, FSDS-R) were included from 16 centers. Absolute displacement of the internal urethral orifice, posterior bladder wall, distal end of the prostatic urethra, and cervix were correlated to urogenital function by calculating Spearman’s Rho (ρ). Median function scores were compared between minimal or substantial displacement using median split. Results There were 89 male and 36 female patients included, of whom 45 and 19 were sexually active after surgery. Absolute displacement of the internal urethral orifice and posterior bladder wall was not correlated with UDI-6 in men (ρ = 0.119 and ρ = 0.022) nor in women (ρ = − 0.098 and ρ = − 0.154). In men with minimal and substantial displacement of the internal urethral orifice, median UDI-6 scores were 10 (IQR 0–22) and 17 (IQR 5–21), respectively, with corresponding scores of 25 (IQR 10–46) and 21 (IQR 16–36) in women. Displacement of the cervix and FSDS-R were correlated (ρ = 0.433) in sexually active patients. Conclusion This first analysis on functional impact of urogenital organ displacement after APR suggests that more displacement of the cervix might be associated with worse sexual function, while the data does not indicate any potential functional impact of bladder displacement. Studies are needed to further explore this underexposed topic.

Optimizing teacher motivation in distributed learning environments is paramount to ensure high-quality education, as medical education is increasingly becoming the responsibility of a larger variety of healthcare contexts. This study aims to explore teaching-related basic need satisfaction, e.g. teachers’ feelings of autonomy, competence and relatedness in teaching, in different healthcare contexts and to provide insight into its relation to contextual factors. We distributed a digital survey among healthcare professionals in university hospitals (UH), district teaching hospitals (DTH), and primary care (PC). We used the Teaching-related Basic Need Satisfaction scale, based on the Self-Determination theory, to measure teachers’ basic needs satisfaction in teaching. We studied relations between basic need satisfaction and perceived presence of contextual factors associated with teacher motivation drawn from the literature. Input from 1407 healthcare professionals was analyzed. PC healthcare professionals felt most autonomous, UH healthcare professionals felt most competent, and DTH healthcare professionals felt most related. Regardless of work context, teachers involved in educational design and who perceived more appreciation and developmental opportunities for teaching reported higher feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in teaching, as did teachers who indicated that teaching was important at their job application. Perceived facilitators for teaching were associated with feeling more autonomous and related. These results can be utilized in a variety of healthcare contexts for improving teaching-related basic need satisfaction. Recommendations for practice include involving different healthcare professionals in educational development and coordination, forming communities of teachers across healthcare contexts, and addressing healthcare professionals’ intentions to be involved in education during job interviews.

This study aimed to establish the functional impact of displacement of urogenital organs after abdominoperineal resection (APR) using validated questionnaires.Patients who underwent APR for primary or recurrent rectal cancer (2001-2018) with evaluable pre- and postoperative radiological imaging and completed urinary (UDI-6, IIQ-7) and sexual questionnaires (male, IIEF; female, FSFI, FSDS-R) were included from 16 centers. Absolute displacement of the internal urethral orifice, posterior bladder wall, distal end of the prostatic urethra, and cervix were correlated to urogenital function by calculating Spearman's Rho (ρ). Median function scores were compared between minimal or substantial displacement using median split.There were 89 male and 36 female patients included, of whom 45 and 19 were sexually active after surgery. Absolute displacement of the internal urethral orifice and posterior bladder wall was not correlated with UDI-6 in men (ρ = 0.119 and ρ = 0.022) nor in women (ρ = - 0.098 and ρ = - 0.154). In men with minimal and substantial displacement of the internal urethral orifice, median UDI-6 scores were 10 (IQR 0-22) and 17 (IQR 5-21), respectively, with corresponding scores of 25 (IQR 10-46) and 21 (IQR 16-36) in women. Displacement of the cervix and FSDS-R were correlated (ρ = 0.433) in sexually active patients.This first analysis on functional impact of urogenital organ displacement after APR suggests that more displacement of the cervix might be associated with worse sexual function, while the data does not indicate any potential functional impact of bladder displacement. Studies are needed to further explore this underexposed topic.

Polyureas have widespread applications due to their unique material properties. Due to the toxicity of isocyanates, sus-tainable isocyanate-free routes to prepare polyureas is a field of active research. Current routes to isocyanate-free poly-ureas focus on constructing the urea moiety in the final polymerizing step. In this study we present a new isocyanate-free method to produce polyureas by Ru-catalyzed carbene insertion into the N‒H bonds of urea itself in combination with a series of bis-diazo compounds as carbene precursors. The mechanism was investigated by kinetics and DFT studies, re-vealing the rate determining step to be nucleophilic attack of a Ru-carbene moiety by urea. This study paves the way to use transition-metal catalyzed reactions in alternative routes to polyureas.

STUDY QUESTION What are the experiences and the support and sexual advice needs of subfertile couples continuing to attempt natural conception after the diagnostic fertility work-up? SUMMARY ANSWER Exploration of the experiences of couples showed that couples would have appreciated fertility clinic staff embedding expectant management into the fertility clinic trajectory, supportive staff with female and male patient interactions and advice on common experiences of peers and on managing their lifestyle, distress and subfertility-related sexual challenges. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Dutch and British professional guidelines advise newly diagnosed subfertile couples with a ‘good prognosis’ to continue to attempt natural conception and do not require fertility clinic staff to interact with patients. Fertility clinic staff and subfertile couples struggle to follow these guidelines as they feel an urgent need for action. Subfertile couples might benefit from sexual advice, as subfertility is negatively associated with sexual functioning, which is important for natural conception. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Twelve one-time in-depth interviews (2015–2017) were conducted with 10 heterosexual couples and 2 women whose partners did not participate, then the interviews were subjected to inductive content analysis, reaching inductive thematic saturation. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The 22 interviewees had experienced 3–18 months of expectant management after their diagnostic fertility work-up in a Belgian or a Dutch tertiary fertility clinic. The face-to-face in-depth interviews explored positive and negative experiences and unmet needs. The transcribed interviews were subjected to inductive content analysis, by two researchers discussing initial disagreements. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Couples would appreciate fertility clinic staff embedding expectant management in the fertility clinic trajectory, by starting off with reassuring couples that their very thorough diagnostic fertility work-up demonstrated their good chance of natural conception, and by involving couples in deciding on the duration of expectant management and by planning the follow-up appointment after expectant management up front. Couples had encountered sexual challenges during expectant management and had an interest in sexual advice, focused on increasing pleasure and partner bonding and preventing the rise of dysfunctions. The couples agreed that a (secured) website with evidence-based, non-patronizing text and mixed media would be an appropriate format for a novel support programme. Couples were keen for interactions with fertility clinic staff which addressed both partners of subfertile couples. Couples also valued advice on managing their lifestyle and distress and would have liked information on the experiences of their peers. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Recall bias is plausible given the retrospective nature of this study. This explorative interview study was not designed for examining country or gender differences in experiences and needs but it did generate new findings on inter-country differences. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Rather than simply advising expectant management, fertility clinics are encouraged to offer couples who continue to attempt natural conception after their diagnostic fertility work-up, supportive patient–staff interactions with advice on common experiences of peers and on managing their lifestyle, distress and sexual challenges related to subfertility. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Funded by Flanders Research Foundation and the University of Amsterdam. There are no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.

Background: While the importance of sexual pleasure for physical and mental health becomes increasingly evident, research on sexual pleasure in transgender persons is lacking. Recently, the first version of the Amsterdam Sexual Pleasure Index (ASPI Vol. 0.1) was validated in cisgender persons. This questionnaire aims to assess the tendency to experience sexual pleasure independent of gender, sexual orientation or anatomy. Aim: The aims of this study were threefold. First, to perform exploratory scale validation analyses of the ASPI in transgender persons. Secondly, to compare transgender sexual pleasure scores to reference data in cisgender persons. Finally, to identify factors that are associated with sexual pleasure. Methods: In a follow-up study conducted within the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI), online questionnaires were distributed to persons who had a first clinical contact at gender clinics in Amsterdam, Ghent or Hamburg four to six years earlier. Internal consistency of the ASPI was assessed by calculating McDonald's omega (omega(t)). ASPI scores were compared to scores from the cisgender population using a one sample t-test, and linear regressions were conducted to study associations with clinical characteristics, psychological wellbeing, body satisfaction and self-reported happiness. Results: In total, 325 persons filled out the ASPI. The ASPI showed excellent internal consistency (omega(t), all: 0.97; transfeminine: 0.97, transmasculine: 0.97). Compared to data from cisgender persons, transgender participants had significantly lower total ASPI scores (i.e., lower sexual pleasure; transgender vs. cisgender, mean(SD): 4.13(0.94) vs. 4.71(0.61)). Lower age, current happiness and genital body satisfaction were associated with a higher tendency to experience sexual pleasure. Conclusion & discussion: The ASPI can be used to assess the tendency to experience sexual pleasure and associated factors in transgender persons. Future studies are needed to understand interplaying biopsychosocial factors that promote sexual pleasure and hence transgender sexual health and wellbeing.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is one of the most promising methods for quantitative in-situ determination of fuel retention in plasma-facing components (PFCs) of magnetically confined fusion devices like ITER and JET. In this article, the current state of understanding in LIBS development for fusion applications will be presented, based on a complete review of existing results and complemented with newly obtained data. The work has been performed as part of a research programme, set up in the EUROfusion Consortium, to address the main requirements for ITER: (a) quantification of fuel from relevant surfaces with high sensitivity, (b) the technical demonstration to perform LIBS with a remote handling system and (c) accurate detection of fuel at ambient pressures relevant for ITER. For the first goal, the elemental composition of ITER-like deposits and proxies to them, including deuterium (D) or helium (He) containing W–Be, W, W–Al and Be–O–C coatings, was successfully determined with a typical depth resolution ranging from 50 up to 250 nm per laser pulse. Deuterium was used as a substitute for tritium (T) and in the LIBS experiments deuterium surface densities below 1016 D/cm2 could be measured with an accuracy of ∼30%, confirming the required high sensitivity for fuel-retention investigations. The performance of different LIBS configurations was explored, comprising LIBS systems based on single pulse (pulse durations: ps–ns) and double pulse lasers with different pulse durations. For the second goal, a remote handling application was demonstrated inside the Frascati-Tokamak-Upgrade (FTU), where a compact, remotely controlled LIBS system was mounted on a multipurpose deployer providing an in-vessel retention monitor system. During a shutdown phase, LIBS was performed at atmospheric pressure, for measuring the composition and fuel content of different area of the stainless-steel FTU first wall, and the titanium zirconium molybdenum alloy tiles of the toroidal limiter. These achievements underline the capability of a LIBS-based retention monitor, which complies with the requirements for JET and ITER operating in DT with a beryllium wall and a tungsten divertor. Concerning the capabilities of LIBS at pressure conditions relevant for ITER, quantitative determination of the composition of PFC materials at ambient pressures up to 100 mbar of N2, the D content could be determined with an accuracy of 25%, while for atmospheric pressure conditions, an accuracy of about 50% was found when using single-pulse lasers. To improve the LIBS performance in atmospheric pressure conditions, a novel approach is proposed for quantitative determination of the retained T and the D/T ratio. This scenario is based on measuring the LIBS plume emission at two different time delays after each laser pulse. On virtue of application of a double pulse LIBS system, for LIBS application at N2 atmospheric pressure the distinguishability of the spectra from H isotopes could be significantly improved, but further systematic research is required.

We relate about the custom-made modification of a Benthos deep-ocean acoustic release into a deep caller, a hydrophone for calling ocean acoustic releases that cannot be reached from a standard deck-unit. The self-contained deep caller can be lowered down to 12 km on any non-conducting winch cable. It may prove useful to retrieve sub-surface instrumentation like a seafloor-lander hidden behind large rocks or in a narrow canyon, or moorings in very deep topographic depressions. We used it to retrieve a 7 km long mooring from 10,910 m depth in the Challenger Deep, Mariana Trench., Comment: 7 pages, 0 figures

Three-dimensional intricate nanostructures hold great promise for real-life applications. Many of these hierarchical structures resemble shapes from Nature, demonstrating much improved physico-chemical properties. Yet, their rational design and controlled synthesis remain challenging. By simply manipulating (electro)chemical gradients using a combined hydrothermal and electrodeposition strategy, we herein show the controlled growth of Co(OH)2 nanostructures, mimicking the process of garden cultivation. The resulting “nano-garden” can selectively contain different patterns, all of which can be fully phosphidated into CoP without losing the structural integrity. Remarkably, these CoP nanostructures show distinct catalytic performance in oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions. Under pH-universal conditions, the CoP “soil + flower-with-stem” structure shows a much more “effective” surface area for gas-evolving reactions with lower activation and concentration overpotentials. This provides superior bifunctional catalytic activity for both reactions, outperforming noble metal counterparts.

A well-known demonstration is adapted to simplify the illustration of heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of ammonia. Various metal catalyst wires are placed above the liquid level in a flask containing concentrated ammonia. After brief preheating, some metal wires continue to glow, providing visual evidence of an overall exothermic reaction taking place at the catalyst surface. Thermal heating by a butane flame prior to insertion and in situ resistive heating using a power supply yield identical results. Active catalysts are the group 9 and 10 elements Rh, Ir, Pd, and Pt. Besides the illustration of the Sabatier principle, the effect of the ammonia-to-oxygen ratio can also be visualized, and active metals vary in the production of a grayish smoke. These observations provide a starting point to discuss catalytic selectivity, a topic of great relevance to industrial catalytic oxidation of ammonia.

BackgroundSimilar to other young people with a chronic health condition, perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV) adolescents may have an impacted sexual development.ObjectivesThis paper aims to compare sexual milestones of PHIV to HIV uninfected peers, through a systematic review (SR) and explorative study.MethodsWe performed a systematic search in 4 electronic databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus), according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Last search in all databases was performed in May 2021. We included studies that reported on quantitative data of any of the main outcomes and compared PHIV to HIV uninfected control groups. Main outcomes were defined as the occurrence and/or debut age of sexual milestones (falling in love, having been in a romantic relationship, masturbation, kissing, non-genital caressing (feeling or petting, touching), genital caressing (fingering, handjob), giving or receiving oral sex, and penetrative sex (vaginal or anal). We excluded case reports, audits, guidelines, editorials, abstracts, studies that reported on behaviorally infected HIV patients, studies that did not include an HIV uninfected control group and studies that could not be translated to English or Dutch. We used the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) Checklist for quality assessment. We performed qualitative synthesis of the data. In the explorative study, we compared sexual milestones of PHIV and HIV uninfected controls matched for age, sex, ethnicity and educational level, using a subset of questions of a validated questionnaire.ResultsWe included eighteen studies in the SR, describing outcomes of an estimated 1,963 participants. Seventeen studies compared the occurrence and/or debut age of intercourse in PHIV and HIV uninfected controls and 4 studies reported on any of the other sexual milestones. The majority of studies found no difference in occurrence (12 of 16 studies) or debut age (6 of 8 studies) of intercourse in PHIV compared to controls. Two of 4 studies reporting on any of the other milestones found no significant differences between PHIV and HIV uninfected controls. In the explorative study, we included ten PHIV participants and 16 HIV uninfected, matched controls. PHIV tended to report a later debut age of sexual milestones than controls (not significant).Strengths and LimitationsThe SR includes only a small number of studies and few studies report on non-penetrative milestones. The explorative study adds to this review by including non-penetrative milestones and comparing PHIV to HIV-uninfected, well-matched controls. However, the sample size was small.ConclusionPHIV seem to engage in sexual activities and achieve sexual milestones at a similar rate as their HIV uninfected peers, with a tendency of a later start in well treated PHIV. The review was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42021252103) and funded by AIDSfonds. AIDSfonds had no role in the study design or interpretations of this study.

The redistribution of matter in the deep-sea depends on water-flow currents and turbulent exchange, for which breaking internal waves are an important source. As internal waves and turbulence are essentially three-dimensional 3D, their dynamical development should ideally be studied in a volume of seawater. However, this is seldom done in the ocean where 1D-observations along a single vertical line are already difficult. We present the design, construction and successful deployment of a half-cubic-hectometer (480,000 m3) 3D-T mooring array holding 2925 high-resolution temperature sensors to study weakly density-stratified waters of the 2500-m deep Western Mediterranean. The stand-alone array samples temperature at a rate of 0.5 Hz, with precision, 44 pages, 16 figures

Green spaces play an important role in urban areas. We study the accessibility of green urban areas by combining open data sets about green with population size data. We develop a mathematical model to define the population density of a green area and calculate the available green space depending on the location. To this end, we do not only consider walking distance to and size of the green area, but also take into account the local population size. Our model quantifies how the available green space depends on the location in the city, such that heavily populated areas have a small amount of green available, even when closely located to a green area.

Additional file 1. Appendix A. How is SRL documented in e-portfolio content. Codebook. In this appendix the codebook used for the content analysis is displayed.

Additional file 2. Appendix B. How is SRL documented in e-portfolio content. Interrater reliabilities. This table shows the interrater reliabilities that were calculated during the design of the codebook.

KM3NeT is a research infrastructure being installed in the deep Mediterranean Sea. It will house a neutrino telescope comprising hundreds of networked moorings — detection units or strings — equipped with optical instrumentation to detect the Cherenkov radiation generated by charged particles from neutrino-induced collisions in its vicinity. In comparison to moorings typically used for oceanography, several key features of the KM3NeT string are different: the instrumentation is contained in transparent and thus unprotected glass spheres; two thin Dyneema® ropes are used as strength members; and a thin delicate backbone tube with fibre-optics and copper wires for data and power transmission, respectively, runs along the full length of the mooring. Also, compared to other neutrino telescopes such as ANTARES in the Mediterranean Sea and GVD in Lake Baikal, the KM3NeT strings are more slender to minimise the amount of material used for support of the optical sensors. Moreover, the rate of deploying a large number of strings in a period of a few years is unprecedented. For all these reasons, for the installation of the KM3NeT strings, a custom-made, fast deployment method was designed. Despite the length of several hundreds of metres, the slim design of the string allows it to be compacted into a small, re-usable spherical launching vehicle instead of deploying the mooring weight down from a surface vessel. After being lowered to the seafloor, the string unfurls to its full length with the buoyant launching vehicle rolling along the two ropes. The design of the vehicle, the loading with a string, and its underwater self-unrolling are detailed in this paper., French National Research Agency (ANR) ANR-15-CE31-0020, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), European Union (EU), Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), LabEx UnivEarthS ANR-10-LABX-0023 ANR-18-IDEX-0001, Paris Ile-de-France Region, France, Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia (SRNSFG), Georgia FR-18-1268, German Research Foundation (DFG), Greek Ministry of Development-GSRT, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Ministero dell'Universita e della Ricerca (MUR), PRIN Italy NAT-NET 2017W4HA7S, Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Professional Training, Morocco, Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) Netherlands Government, National Science Center, Poland National Science Centre, Poland 2015/18/E/ST2/00758, National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS), Romania, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación, Investigación y Universidades (MCIU): Programa Estatal de Generación de Conocimiento (MCIU/FEDER) PGC2018-096663-B-C41 PGC2018-096663-B-A-C42 PGC2018-096663-B-BC43 PGC2018-096663-B-B-C44, Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence and MultiDark Consolider (MCIU), Junta de Andalucía SOMM17/6104/UGR, Generalitat Valenciana GRISOLIA/2018/119 CIDEGENT/2018/034, La Caixa Foundation LCF/BQ/IN17/11620019, EU: MSC program, Spain 713673

A small-scale 3D mooring array comprising up to 550 high-resolution temperature sensors was custom designed and constructed. The stand-alone array samples ocean temperature to depths of about 3000 m, limited by the buoyancy elements, at a rate of 1 Hz, with a precision better than 0.5 mK, a noise level better than 0.1 mK, and an endurance of 1 year. Its purpose serves quantitative studies on the development of turbulent mixing by internal wave breaking above deep-ocean topography. The 3D array consists of five parallel cables 105 m long with 3.2 mm inner diameter during the first deployment, now 5.5 mm. The cables are 4 and 5.6 m apart horizontally and are held under tension of 1000 N each using heavy buoyancy elements in a single line above. The entire array is folded into a 6-m high, 3-m-diameter structure above a 750-kg weight. It is deployed in a single overboard operation similar to that of a free-falling mooring. New here is the unfolding of the compacted array when hanging overboard and prior to release into free fall.

A literature analysis on the effects of female genital mutilation (FGM) on sexual and psychological well-being.Narrative systematic review.In March 2016 we performed a search for relevant literature in the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Inclusion criteria were studies (a) of women who had undergone FGM and with a control group of women who had not undergone FGM; (b) published since 2010; (c) in Dutch, English, French or German; and (d) in which use was made of sexological and/or psychological questionnaires.We included 14 studies from African, Arabic or European countries. In 3 studies psychological well-being was assessed, in 5 studies sexual well-being, and in 6 studies both were assessed. Women with FGM reported more symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression. FGM had negative effects on self-confidence, quality of life and marital satisfaction. Women with FGM were less satisfied with their sex life. They reported less sexual desire, less arousal and lubrication and fewer orgasms and more often had dyspareunia.Women with FGM have an increased risk of reduced psychological and sexual well-being.

Many trace elements like Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn are essential for marine life, some trace elements are of concern as pollutants, e.g. Pb and Hg, while others, together with a diverse array of isotopes, are used to assess modern-ocean processes and the role of the ocean in past climate change. GEOTRACES is an international program that aims to measure the distribution of trace elements and isotopes throughout the world oceans to improve our understanding of their marine biogeochemical cycles. To contribute to GEOTRACES a new sampler system was developed at NIOZ allowing efficient sampling of large volumes of seawater under ultraclean conditions. The 24 "PRISTINE" samplers each with a volume of 24.4 L are made of a high-purity polymer Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) and are opened and closed using a butterfly-valve closing mechanism. The samplers are mounted on an all-titanium frame and deployed using a poly-aramide hydrowire (Super Aram) with internal power/signal conductors. Upon recovery the complete frame is immediately placed in its own clean-air laboratory unit. Samplers are (i) always closed when onboard, (ii) always mounted on the frame without the need for hand-carrying heavy samplers, and (iii) can be deployed again with minimal (manual) preparation. The PRISTINE ultraclean sampling system was used for the first time during the GA02 GEOTRACES cruises in the West Atlantic Ocean (2010-2012). During 60 full ocean depth stations all 24 samplers closed with a 100% success rate. Sampling proved to be much faster, less labor intensive, and ultraclean. A comparison of salinity, temperature, nutrient and oxygen data collected with the rectangular titanium frame with PRISTINE samplers and a traditional CTD frame with Niskin samplers showed that the CTD systems functioned equally well, that the PRISTINE samplers took discrete seawater samples without any inward leakage of seawater during the up-cast, and that no atmospheric oxygen contaminated the seawater samples in the PRISTINE samplers after return on deck. The excellent agreement between 13 trace elements sampled with PRISTINE and sampled during the cross over occupation of US-GEOTRACES at the Bermuda BATS site (32 degrees N, 64 degrees W) shows its suitability for ultraclean trace element and isotope sampling (see accompanying paper). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

OBJECTIVE: Although it has been established that sufficient protein is required to maintain good nutritional status and support healthy aging, it is not clear if the pattern of protein consumption may also influence nutritional status, especially in institutionalized elderly who are at risk of malnutrition. Therefore, we aim to determine the association between protein intake distribution and nutritional status in institutionalized elderly people.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study among 481 institutionalized older adults.METHODS: Dietary data from 481 ambulant elderly people (68.8% female, mean age 87.5 ± 6.3 years) residing in 52 aged-care facilities in Victoria, Australia, were assessed over 2 days using plate waste analysis. Nutritional status was determined using the Mini-Nutritional Assessment tool and serum (n = 208) analyzed for albumin, hemoglobin, and IGF-1. Protein intake distribution was classified as: spread (even distribution across 3 meals, n = 65), pulse (most protein consumed in one meal, n = 72) or intermediate (n = 344). Regression analysis was used to investigate associations.RESULTS: Mean protein intakes were higher in the spread (60.5 ± 2.0 g/d) than intermediate group (56.0 ± 0.8 g/d, P = .037), and tended to be higher than those in the pulse group (55.9 ± 1.9 g/d, P = .097). Residents with an even distribution of protein intake achieved a higher level of the recommended daily intake for protein (96.2 ± 30.0%) than the intermediate (86.3 ± 26.2%, P = .008) and pulse (87.4 ± 30.5%, P = .06) groups, and also achieved a greater level of their estimated energy requirements (intermediate; P = .039, pulse; P = .001). Nutritional status (Mini-Nutritional Assessment score) did not differ between groups (pulse; 20.5 ± 4.5, intermediate; 21.0 ± 2.5, spread; 20.5 ± 3.5), nor did any other indices of nutritional status.CONCLUSIONS: Meeting protein requirements is required before protein distribution may influence nutritional status in institutionalized elderly. Achieving adequate protein and energy intakes is more likely when protein is distributed evenly throughout the day. Provision of high protein foods especially at breakfast, and in the evening, may support protein adequacy and healthy aging, especially for institutionalized elderly.

Recidivism, repeated criminal behavior after conviction and correction of prior offenses, is a costly problem across the nation. However, the contribution of empathy in determining the risk of recidivism has received limited attention, although lack of empathy has been related to antisocial personality disorder in various studies. Studies linked testosterone to aggression, antisocial behavior, and criminality, and evidence support hormonal connections between empathy and aggression. Adult male prison inmates convicted of violent or nonviolent offenses were included in a cross-sectional study of empathy, antisocial behavior, salivary testosterone, and recidivism. Subjects underwent criminal history, Empathy Quotient, Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and salivary testosterone assays. Bivariate analyses indicated multiple correlations between variables. Multivariate modeling analyses found a significant relationship between self-reported conviction number and psychopathy scale score (p = 0.013). These preliminary results suggest avenues of investigation of factors contributing to recidivism risk.

The deployment time of a taut-wire mooring is reduced to the time any transportation/hoisting device needs to put a payload at the sea surface. This is a matter of minutes rather than hours needed for deployment of long deep-ocean moorings in the regular way. It is achieved by extending the basic function of mooring parts to temporarily form a Launcher for Oceanographic Equipment and Instruments (LOEI). Full preparation of the mooring is done onshore where the instruments are prepared and programmed, and spooled onto the top-buoy together with the line. At sea, no other gear is required than a device that is able to lift a load of, say, 2000 kg, even for long deep-ocean moorings. The compact mooring method realizes considerable budget savings through deployments from non-research vessels and airborne transportation-deployment. Limitations lay in size and weight of the oceanographic instruments. We present a test-design shaped as a barbell and loaded with 940 m line and 3 current meters. Unfurling speed was maximally 2.3 m s −1 and the descent speed amounted 1.2 m s −1 until landing on the seabed. These speeds are comparable to those acquired during a conventional free-falling mooring deployment.

Hydrated ferric chloride, FeCl3·6 H2O, in a polar, hydroxylic solvent converted 2-alkylcyclopentanones directly into 2-alkyl-2-cyclopentenones on heating in the presence of air. Yields of isolated products were about 40 %. The scope of the reaction is discussed. With cupric chloride, chloroketones were formed as intermediates, which could be dehydrochlorinated to 2-alkyl-2-cyclopentenones in similar yields.

P>Purpose: To study the course and outcome of childhood-onset epilepsy during 15-year follow-up (FU). Methods: We extended FU in 413 of 494 children with new-onset epilepsy recruited in a previously described prospective hospital-based study by questionnaire. Results: Mean FU was 14.8 years (range 11.6-17.5 years). Five-year terminal remission (TR) was reached by 71% of the cohort. Course during FU was favorable in 50%, improving in 29%, and poor or deteriorating in 16%. Mean duration of seizure activity was 6.0 years (range 0-21.5 years), strongly depending on etiology and epilepsy type. Duration was

Contains fulltext : 80852.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) AIM: To study the effect of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug naproxen on the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in healthy volunteers. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized study in two groups of 20 healthy volunteers was performed. The activity of the HPA axis was measured before and after the use of naproxen or placebo during a period of 2 weeks. Basal plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, 24-h urinary cortisol, and circadian cortisol rhythm in saliva were determined. Plasma ACTH and cortisol were also measured during submaximal physical exercise. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the placebo and naproxen groups in basal plasma ACTH [09.00 h 3.1 pmol l(-1), 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0, 4.2, and 2.8 pmol l(-1), 95% CI 1.9, 3.7, respectively], cortisol levels (09.00 h 0.45 micromol l(-1), 95% CI 0.39, 0.51, and 0.40 micromol l(-1), 95% CI 0.35, 0.44, respectively), 24 h urinary cortisol excretion (67.5 nmol 24 h(-1), 95% CI 54.3, 80.7, and 86.8 nmol 24 h(-1), 95% CI 54.4, 119.2, respectively), circadian cortisol rhythm measured in salivary samples, or ACTH and cortisol concentrations after physical exercise. After the use of placebo or naproxen for 2 weeks, no significant change in any of the parameters occurred (ACTH 09.00 h 3.0 pmol l(-1), 95% CI 2.0, 3.9, and 3.0 pmol l(-1), 95% CI 2.2, 3.8, respectively; cortisol 09.00 h 0.45 micromol l(-1), 95% CI 0.37, 0.52, and 0.39 micromol l(-1), 95% CI 0.34, 0.44, respectively; cortisol urine 79.5 nmol 24 h(-1), 95% CI 59.5, 99.4, and 81.7 nmol 24 h(-1), 95% CI 64.0, 99.4, respectively), and no significant differences were found in these parameters between the placebo and naproxen groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of naproxen does not influence the activity of the HPA axis in healthy volunteers under basal circumstances or in response to physical stress.

A simple experiment shows that the tubing leading to and from the pumped duct of temperature T and conductivity C-sensors of a Sea-Bird Electronics 911plus CTD can cause artificial T-effects as a function of the instrument package vertical velocity. This artifact is due to a pressure difference between inlet and exhaust tubes of the pump-system, even when they are mounted at precisely the same height (pressure level). The vertical velocity dependent pressure difference causes an estimated internal flow speed variation of ±0.5 m s −1 inside the pumped duct that generates artificial temperature variations of ±0.5 mK due to sensor frictional heating. First, this effect is demonstrated in weakly stratified waters by precise but horizontal mounting of the two tubes (at the same height), which leads to similar amplitudes of erroneous T and opposite sign as erroneous T observed using the standard vertical mounting. Secondly, the use of identical surface area tubes, mounted (at the same height) in the vertical downward direction, successfully removes the unwanted pressure gradient and hence the temperature dependence. This second mounting, acting as a hardware filter, can effectively replace a recently proposed software filter.

Vijf van de acht opleidingen geneeskunde hebben besloten de bachelor/master-structuur in te voeren. Ten behoeve van het accreditatieproces zijn gemeenschappelijke eindkwalificaties van de bacheloropleiding geformuleerd. De eindkwalificaties bestaan uit een profiel van de bachelor geneeskunde en uit eindtermen van de bacheloropleiding. Volgens de opgestelde eindkwalificaties heeft de bachelor geneeskunde aantoonbare vorderingen gemaakt in ieder van de vier in het Raamplan 2001 artsopleiding onderscheiden aspecten: medische aspecten, wetenschappelijke aspecten, persoonlijke aspecten en aspecten met betrekking tot de maatschappij en het gezondheidszorgsysteem. De eindtermen zijn afgeleid van het raamplan, maar in algemene zin uitgewerkt op een niveau dat past bij de fase van de opleiding. De beoordelingscommissie van de Quality Assurance Netherlands Universities (QANU) heeft een positief oordeel over profiel en eindtermen uitgesproken. De Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatie Organisatie (NVAO) heeft op basis van dat oordeel de accreditatieaanvragen van de betreffende faculteiten gehonoreerd en in een definitief accreditatiebesluit vastgelegd. (Laan RFJM, Bulte JA, Daelmans HEM, Snellen-Balendong HAM, Borleffs JCC. Eindtermen voor de bacheloropleiding geneeskunde. Tijdschrift voor Medisch Onderwijs 2007;26(1):19-29.)