Enter (Switzerland)

Robust methodology and ethical reporting are paramount for quality scientific research, but recently, that quality in addiction research has been questioned. Avenues to improve such research quality include adherence to reporting guidelines and proper usage of clinical trial registries. Reporting guidelines and clinical trial registries have been shown to lead researchers to more ethical and transparent methodology. To investigate the reporting guideline and clinical trial registration policies of addiction research journals and identify areas of improvement. We used Google Scholar Metrics' h-5 index to identify the top 20 addiction research journals. We then examined the instructions for authors from each journal to identify whether they required, recommended, or made no mention of trial registration and reporting guidelines, including the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT), Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE), Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses (QUOROM), Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), Standards for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (STARD), Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE), Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE), Case Reports (CARE), Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS), Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR), Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE), Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT), Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ), Transparent Reporting of a Multivariate Prediction Model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis (TRIPOD), Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P), and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines. We performed the same analysis regarding requirements for clinical trial registration. Of the 20 journals included in this study, 10 journals (50%) did not require adherence to any reporting guidelines. Trial registration followed a similar trend; 15 journals (75%) did not mention any form of trial or systematic review registration, and ClinicalTrials.gov was only recommended by only 1 journal (5%). Among top addiction medicine journals, required adherence to reporting guidelines and clinical trial registry policies remains substandard. A step toward fulfilling the National Institute on Drug Abuses' call for improvement in transparency and reproducibility within addiction research should include all journals adopting a strict reporting guideline and clinical trial registry adherence policy.

As poultry consumption continues to increase worldwide, and as the United States accounts for about one-third of all poultry exports globally, understanding factors leading to poultry-associated foodborne outbreaks in the United States has important implications for food safety. We analysed outbreaks reported to the United States' Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System from 1998 to 2012 in which the implicated food or ingredient could be assigned to one food category. Of 1114 outbreaks, poultry was associated with 279 (25%), accounting for the highest number of outbreaks, illnesses, and hospitalizations, and the second highest number of deaths. Of the 149 poultry-associated outbreaks caused by a confirmed pathogen, Salmonella enterica (43%) and Clostridium perfringens (26%) were the most common pathogens. Restaurants were the most commonly reported location of food preparation (37% of poultry-associated outbreaks), followed by private homes (25%), and catering facilities (13%). The most commonly reported factors contributing to poultry-associated outbreaks were food-handling errors (64%) and inadequate cooking (53%). Effective measures to reduce poultry contamination, promote safe food-handling practices, and ensure food handlers do not work while ill could reduce poultry-associated outbreaks and illnesses.

A method of applying network flow analyses during real time power system operation, to provide better network connectivity visualization, is developed and presented. Graph theory network flow analysis is capable of determining the maximum flow that can be transported between two nodes within a directed graph. These network flow algorithms are applied to a graphical representation of a power system topology to determine the minimum number of system branches needed to be lost in order to guarantee disconnecting the two nodes in the system that are selected. The number of system branches that are found serves as an approximate indicator of system vulnerabilities. The method used in these connectivity analyses makes use of well known graph theory network flow maximum flow algorithms, but also introduces a new algorithm for updating an old network flow solution for the loss of only a single system branch. The proposed new algorithm allows for significantly decreased solution time that is desired in a real-time environment. The value of using the proposed method is illustrated by using a detailed example of the 2008 island formation that occurred in the Entergy power system. The method was applied to a recreation of the 2008 event using a 20,000-bus model of the Entergy system to show both the proposed method's benefits as well as practicality of implementation.

Isolation of Vibrio cholerae O1 is necessary for cholera outbreak confirmation. Rapid diagnostic testing of fecal specimens, based on lipopolysaccharide detection of V. cholerae O1 or O139, may assist in early outbreak detection and surveillance. Cary-Blair transport medium is recommended for specimen transport. Filter paper, although used in epidemics, needs evaluation against rectal swab specimens. Fecal specimens are subcultured onto selective and nonselective media, including 5% blood agar and TCBS agar, for detection of V. cholerae O1 or O139. Suspicious, oxidase-positive isolates are serotyped in monovalent antisera. Antimicrobial-susceptibility testing is performed to detect resistance. Molecular characterization supports phenotypic identification and outbreak investigations. The presence of genes encoding cholera toxin, lipopolysaccharide, and El Tor biotype traits can be confirmed. Standardized pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis facilitates strain comparison. Quality management ensures reliability of results through validation and verification of functional laboratory equipment; quality control of testing procedures, laboratory reagents, and consumables; and participation in proficiency-testing schemes.

The slow wave in gastric and intestinal smooth muscle is a periodic depolarization that sets up electrical conditions for smooth muscle cells to contract in response to the release of acetylcholine from the myenteric excitatory motor neurons. Accordingly, the smooth muscle cells contract only once during a slow wave. Therefore, the maximum frequency of contractions at a given location in the gastrointestinal tract cannot exceed the frequency of slow wave at that location. Alvarez and colleagues (Alvarez & Mahoney, 1922; Berkson et al. 1932), using extracellular electrodes, were the first to identify the slow wave in the canine stomach and small intestine and noted a one-to-one relationship between slow wave and contraction when the muscles were active. Since then, many investigators have validated the recording of slow wave s by extracellular electrodes and their relationship to the maximum contraction frequency in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and experimental animals. Starting in the sixties, intracellular recordings from smooth muscle cells confirmed slow waves in these cells (Daniel, 1966; el-Sharkawy et al. 1978). Since then the recording of slow waves by extracellular and intracellular electrodes has served as an important tool to understand gut motility function in health and disease.

On 7 and 11 July 2007, health officials in Texas and Indiana, respectively, reported 4 possible cases of type A foodborne botulism to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Foodborne botulism is a rare and sometimes fatal illness caused by consuming foods containing botulinum neurotoxin. Investigators reviewed patients' medical charts and food histories. Clinical specimens and food samples were tested for botulinum toxin and neurotoxin-producing Clostridium species. Investigators conducted inspections of the cannery that produced the implicated product. Eight confirmed outbreak associated cases were identified from Indiana (n = 2), Texas (n = 3), and Ohio (n = 3). Botulinum toxin type A was identified in leftover chili sauce consumed by the Indiana patients and 1 of the Ohio patients. Cannery inspectors found violations of federal canned-food regulations that could have led to survival of Clostridium botulinum spores during sterilization. The company recalled 39 million cans of chili. Following the outbreak, the US Food and Drug Administration inspected other canneries with similar canning systems and issued warnings to the industry about the danger of C. botulinum and the importance of compliance with canned food manufacturing regulations. Commercially produced hot dog chili sauce caused these cases of type A botulism. This is the first US foodborne botulism outbreak involving a commercial cannery in >30 years. Sharing of epidemiologic and laboratory findings allowed for the rapid identification of implicated food items and swift removal of potentially deadly products from the market by US food regulatory authorities.

Im Zusammenhang mit dem Wandel zur Informationsgesellschaft erfährt die Auseinandersetzung Jugendlicher mit neuen Medien eine verstärkte erziehungs- wie sozialwissenschaftlicher Aufmerksamkeit. Im Rahmen empirischer Untersuchungen bilden Studien zu jugendlichem Medienumgang aus einer soziokulturell differenzierten Perspektive bislang die Ausnahme – vor allem wurden Jugendliche mit Migrationshintergrund bisher zu wenig berücksichtigt. Hier setzt die vorliegende Studie an und untersucht, wie Jugendliche unterschiedlicher Herkunft ihren Medienumgang handlungspraktisch gestalten und thematisieren. In einer qualitativ-rekonstruktiven Vorgehensweise auf der Grundlage offener Interviews mit Jugendlichen aus deutschen und türkischen Familien werden zentrale fallübergreifende Orientierungen ihrer Medienaneignung herausgearbeitet. Damit eröffnet sich ein materialreicher Blick auf die aktiv-handelnde und deutende Alltagspraxis der Jugendlichen: Ihre Aneignungsbewegungen im Medienkontext werden als konstruktive Eigenleistung verstanden, die in Verbindung zu sehen sind mit dem übergreifenden Prozess ihrer Aneignung sozialer Wirklichkeit, aus dem heraus sich medienbezogene Handlungsoptionen und -entwürfe entwickeln. Es zeigt sich, dass neben dem Migrationshintergrund das Geschlecht eine bedeutsame Analysekategorie darstellt, die jugendlichen Medienumgang differenziert, und dass sich in Bezug auf beides übergeordnete Rahmungen identifizieren lassen, die bei Nutzung, Bewertung und Wahrnehmung neuer Medien bedeutsam sind. Mit der Rekonstruktion und Typisierung von Orientierungen im Prozess der Medienaneignung leistet die vorliegende Arbeit einen Beitrag zur Theoriebildung an der Schnittstelle von erziehungswissenschaftlicher und sozialwissenschaftlicher Jugendforschung.

In France surveillance underestimates the true burden of acute gastroenteritis (AG). We conducted a population-based, retrospective cross-sectional telephone survey between May 2009 and April 2010 in order to obtain more accurate estimates of the incidence and the burden of AG and to describe healthcare-seeking behaviour for AG. Of the 10 080 persons included in the survey, 260 respondents reported 263 episodes of AG. The incidence rate of AG was estimated at 0·33 cases/person-year (95% CI 0·28-0·37). It was highest in children aged <5 years and declined with age. Thirty-three percent (95% CI 27-40) of the AG cases consulted a physician and 76% (95% CI 70-82) used medication. Our results indicate that there are more than 21 million episodes of AG each year in France. These results allow a more accurate interpretation of the data derived from existing AG surveillance systems.

Present state estimator performance is not 100% reliable. Specifically, there is significant probability that the state estimators may not converge to an acceptable solution. On an industry wide basis, the probability of non convergence is about 5%. The reasons for this performance have been investigated and have been reported in earlier papers. In this paper we report on a new approach that alleviates the sources of state estimator unreliability and at the same time distributes the computational procedure to each substation of the system, assuming there is at least one GPS-synchronized device (relay, PMU, recorder, meter, etc.) at each substation. This results in a true distributed estimator. The results of the distributed state estimator are communicated to the control center where the overall system state is constructed. The approach has been implemented to two subsystems of two substations each. This paper describes the overall approach and provides results from the two pilot implementations. Glossary GPS: Global Positioning System PMU: Phasor Measurement Unit CT: Current Transformer VT: Voltage Transformer CCVT : Capacitor Coupled Voltage Transformer

Insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes mellitus (T1D) onset is mediated by individual human genetics as well as undefined environmental influences such as viral infections. The group B coxsackieviruses (CVB) are commonly named as putative T1D-inducing agents. We studied CVB replication in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice to assess how infection by diverse CVB strains affected T1D incidence in a model of human T1D. Inoculation of 4- or 8-week-old NOD mice with any of nine different CVB strains significantly reduced the incidence of T1D by 2- to 10-fold over a 10-month period relative to T1D incidences in mock-infected control mice. Greater protection was conferred by more-pathogenic CVB strains relative to less-virulent or avirulent strains. Two CVB3 strains were employed to further explore the relationship of CVB virulence phenotypes to T1D onset and incidence: a pathogenic strain (CVB3/M) and a nonvirulent strain (CVB3/GA). CVB3/M replicated to four- to fivefold-higher titers than CVB3/GA in the pancreas and induced widespread pancreatitis, whereas CVB3/GA induced no pancreatitis. Apoptotic nuclei were detected by TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling) assay in CVB3/M-infected pancreata but not in CVB3/GA-infected pancreata. In situ hybridization detected CVB3 RNA in acinar tissue but not in pancreatic islets. Although islets demonstrated inflammatory infiltrates in CVB3-protected mice, insulin remained detectable by immunohistochemistry in these islets but not in those from diabetic mice. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based examination of murine sera for immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG2a immunoreactivity against diabetic autoantigens insulin and HSP60 revealed no statistically significant relationship between CVB3-protected mice or diabetic mice and specific autoimmunity. However, when pooled sera from CVB3/M-protected mice were used to probe a Western blot of pancreatic proteins, numerous proteins were detected, whereas only one band was detected by sera from CVB3/GA-protected mice. No proteins were detected by sera from diabetic or normal mice. Cumulatively, these data do not support the hypothesis that CVB are causative agents of T1D. To the contrary, CVB infections provide significant protection from T1D onset in NOD mice. Possible mechanisms by which this virus-induced protection may occur are discussed.