Comparing online campaigning: The evolution of interactive campaigning from Royal to Obama to Hollande

© 2016 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.Studies of election campaigning from a comparative perspective have a long history; this study approaches the topic through a most-similar regime perspective to explore the ebb and flow of innovations in digital campaigning between presidential campaigns in France and the United States. The hype surrounding the 2008 Obama campaign overshadowed innovations in France the previous year, while the 2011 contest gained little serious academic attention. Using a well-established content analysis methodology the research explains the strategic design of the digital dimension of the campaigns of the leading candidates (Sarkozy and Royal in 2007, Obama and McCain in 2008, Hollande and Sarkozy in 2011, and Obama and Romney in 2012). The research then assesses the strategic contribution of each feature using schematics for understanding the flow of communication, as well as the strategy employed by each candidate. The key findings are that the campaigns are becoming more interactive, with the citizens increasingly more able to enter into conversations with the campaign teams, however interactivity when it happens is carefully controlled. Largely, however, there is a strong similarity masked by the sophistication of US contests. Despite the advances in communication technology and the social trends they have instigated, campaign communication remains top-down and digital technologies are used to gather data and push supporters towards activism than creating an inclusive space for the co-creation that cyberoptimists argued would revitalise the structures of democracy

First-line ovulation induction for polycystic ovary syndrome : an individual participant data meta-analysis

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Mr M. Draper from Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide, for his assistance in developing the search strategies and Dr M. H. Zafarmand from University of Amsterdam for assisting with the translation. We would like to acknowledge all the investigators and participants of the primary trials. The investigators of individual trials are listed in Supplementary Table SIV. We would like to acknowledge the assistance of NICHD, the Reproductive Medicine Network (RMN) and the Protocol Subcommittee, in making the database for PPCOS I and II available. +The authors of the Reproductive Medicine Network are R.S.L., R.G. Brzyski, M.P. Diamond, C. Coutifaris, W.D. Schlaff, P. Casson, G.M. Christman, H. Huang, Q. Yan, R. Alvero, D.J. Haisenleder, K.T. Barnhart, G.W. Bates, R. Usadi, S. Lucidi, V. Baker, J.C. Trussell, S.A. Krawetz, P. Snyder, D. Ohl, N. Santoro, H.X. Barnhart, B.R. Carr, S.A. Carson, M.P. Steinkampf, P.G. McGovern, N.A. Cataldo, G.G. Gosman, J.E. Nestler, L.C. Giudice, P.C. Leppert, E.R. Myers, E. Eisenberg and H. Zhang. The details of their affiliations and NIH Grants are listed in Supplementary Table SV. Funding An Australian government research training programme scholarship (to R.W.); Australian National Health and Medical Research Council-funded Centre for Research Excellence in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (APP1078444). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPostprin

Gonadotrophins versus clomifene citrate with or without intrauterine insemination in women with normogonadotropic anovulation and clomifene failure (M-OVIN):A randomised, two-by-two factorial trial

Background: In many countries, clomifene citrate is the treatment of first choice in women with normogonadotropic anovulation (ie, absent or irregular ovulation). If these women ovulate but do not conceive after several cycles with clomifene citrate, medication is usually switched to gonadotrophins, with or without intrauterine insemination. We aimed to assess whether switching to gonadotrophins is more effective than continuing clomifene citrate, and whether intrauterine insemination is more effective than intercourse. Methods: In this two-by-two factorial multicentre randomised clinical trial, we recruited women aged 18 years and older with normogonadotropic anovulation not pregnant after six ovulatory cycles of clomifene citrate (maximum of 150 mg daily for 5 days) from 48 Dutch hospitals. Women were randomly assigned using a central password-protected internet-based randomisation programme to receive six cycles with gonadotrophins plus intrauterine insemination, six cycles with gonadotrophins plus intercourse, six cycles with clomifene citrate plus intrauterine insemination, or six cycles with clomifene citrate plus intercourse. Clomifene citrate dosages varied from 50 to 150 mg daily orally and gonadotrophin starting dose was 50 or 75 IU daily subcutaneously. The primary outcome was conception leading to livebirth within 8 months after randomisation defined as any baby born alive after a gestational age beyond 24 weeks. Primary analysis was by intention to treat. We made two comparisons, one in which gonadotrophins were compared with clomifene citrate and one in which intrauterine insemination was compared with intercourse. This completed study is registered with the Netherlands Trial Register, number NTR1449. Findings: Between Dec 8, 2008, and Dec 16, 2015, we randomly assigned 666 women to gonadotrophins and intrauterine insemination (n=166), gonadotrophins and intercourse (n=165), clomifene citrate and intrauterine insemination (n=163), or clomifene citrate and intercourse (n=172). Women allocated to gonadotrophins had more livebirths than those allocated to clomifene citrate (167 [52%] of 327 women vs 138 [41%] of 334 women, relative risk [RR] 1·24 [95% CI 1·05–1·46]; p=0·0124). Addition of intrauterine insemination did not increase livebirths compared with intercourse (161 [49%] vs 144 [43%], RR 1·14 [95% CI 0·97–1·35]; p=0·1152). Multiple pregnancy rates for the two comparisons were low and not different. There were three adverse events: one child with congenital abnormalities and one stillbirth in two women treated with clomifene citrate, and one immature delivery due to cervical insufficiency in a woman treated with gonadotrophins. Interpretation: In women with normogonadotropic anovulation and clomifene citrate failure, a switch of treatment to gonadotrophins increased the chance of livebirth over treatment with clomifene citrate; there was no evidence that addition of intrauterine insemination does so. Funding: The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development

Effectieve UV-straling in Nederland

In dit rapport worden de meetresultaten en eerste analyses van de spectrale UV-metingen gepresenteerd, zoals die zijn verkregen met de bij het RIVM ontwikkelde spectrale UV-meetsysteem, dat sedert april 1993 operationeel is. De spectrale meetgegevens zijn in dit rapport geanalyseerd met betrekking tot effecten van variaties van de dikte van de ozonlaag, bewolking en aerosolen. Metingen zijn vergeleken met modelberekeningen van de UV-transfer voor onbewolkte situaties en een empirische methode is ontwikkeld en toegepast voor de analyse van de invloeden van bewolking en aerosolen. Bewolking en aerosolen reduceren de effectieve UV jaardosis met circa 35%. De methoden zijn gebruikt voor het berekenen van de effectieve UV jaardoses in de periode van 1991-1994. De resultaten zijn vergeleken met een referentie jaarsom, gebaseerd op gemiddelde ozonwaarden in de periode van 1972-1993 en een gemiddelde reductie door bewolking en aerosolen. Vergeleken met de referentie jaarsom is de voor bewolking en aerosolen gecorrigeerde berekende jaardosis in 1991 3% lager, de jaardosis in 1992 5% hoger en in 1993 12% hoger. De voor bewolking en aerosolen gecorrigeerde jaardosis in 1994 was ruim 8% hoger dan de referentie jaarsom, hetgeen inhoudt dat de sterke opwaartse trend van 1992 en 1993, die mogelijk is beinvloed door de vulkaanuitbarsting van de Pinatubo in 1991, niet wordt voortgezet. Niettemin is de jaardosis in 1994 beduidend hoger dan de jaardosis in 1991 en de referentie dosis.This report presents the observations and first analysis of the spectral and effective UV-irradiance levels in the Netherlands (at 52o N) obtained with the UV-monitoring system developed at RIVM and operational since April 1993. The spectral data have been analysed with respect to effects of variations of thickness of the ozone layer, cloud cover and aerosols. Measurements were compared with UV-transfer model calculations for cloudless situations. An empirical method is developed and applied for the evaluation of cloud and aerosol effects on atmospheric UV-transfer. Clouds and aerosols were found to reduce the yearly effective UV dose by 35% compared to clear sky estimates. The method is used to analyse yearly effective UV doses in the Netherlands in the period 1991-1994. The results are compared to a reference yearly UV dose, based on average ozone values over 1972-1993, and average cloud and aerosol reductions. Compared to the reference yearly dose the cloud and aerosol corrected yearly doses in 1991 were 3% lower, the doses in 1992 5% higher, and in 1993 12% higher. The cloud and aerosol corrected yearly dose for 1994 was 8% higher than the reference yeardose. Thus the sharp upward trend observed in 1992 and 1993, which might have been influenced by the volcanic eruption of the Pinatubo in 1991, has not been continued. Nevertheless, the 1994 estimates are consistently higher than the 1991 values and the reference dose.DGM/SVS/SN

Required amount of rFSH, HP-hMG and HP-FSH to reach a live birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis

STUDY QUESTION: In women undergoing IVF or ICSI cycles, do recombinant gonadotrophins differ from urinary-derived highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin (HP-hMG) or highly purified follicle-stimulating hormone (HP-FSH) in the total amount of gonadotrophins required to reach a live birth? SUMMARY ANSWER: The difference between recombinant and urinary-derived HP-hMG or HP-FSH in the required amount to reach a live birth in IVF/ICSI cycles appears small. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: At present, gynecologists can choose between recombinant FSH (rFSH), urinary-derived HP-hMG and HP-FSH. These products are equally effective and safe, but it is unknown how these gonadotrophins compare in terms of IU required to reach a live birth. STUDY DESIGN SIZE AND DURATION: We conducted a search in Medline, Embase and CINAHL up to July 2018. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared rFSH with HP-hMG or HP-FSH for ovarian stimulation in couples scheduled for IVF or ICSI treatment. From each randomized trial, we extracted the outcome data and information on participants, methods, interventions and funding. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS SETTING AND METHODS: Women undergoing ovarian stimulation with rFSH, HP-hMG or HP-FSH were included. We extracted data for the mean amount of gonadotrophins with SD, clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate and cumulative live birth rate per woman from the included RCTs. We summarized these outcomes by calculating the individual and pooled mean difference (MD) or relative risk (RR) with 95% CI. We used the Review Manager software to perform the meta-analyses. We applied a random effect model to pool the data. We estimated the total amount of gonadotrophins used per extra live birth by STATA 14.2 and R software. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: A total of 28 studies with 7553 women were included in this review, of which 24 studies provided information on the total amount of gonadotrophins per woman who started an IVF/ICSI cycle. The total amount of gonadotrophins varied significantly between studies. The MDs in total amount were -37 IU (seven studies; N = 3220; 95% CI, -115 to 41; I 2 = 68%) for rFSH versus HP-hMG and -31 IU (17 studies; N = 3629; 95% CI, -290 to 228; I 2 = 97%) for rFSH versus HP-FSH. For rFSH versus HP-hMG, the RR for clinical pregnancy, live birth and cumulative live birth were 0.90 (95% CI, 0.81-1.00), 0.88 (95% CI, 0.78-0.99) and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.80-1.04), respectively. For rFSH versus HP-FSH, the RR for clinical pregnancy and live birth were 1.03 (95% CI, 0.94-1.13) and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.90-1.18), respectively; the data on cumulative live birth rate were lacking. The estimated difference in mean gonadotrophin amount per extra live birth was 789 IU (95% CI, -9.5 to 1570) for rFSH versus HP-hMG and -365 IU (95% CI, -2675 to 1945) for rFSH versus HP-FSH. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION: There was severe heterogeneity in the total amount of gonadotrophins between studies. A small fraction of women did not start gonadotrophin treatment; this was usually not accounted for in the provided mean amount of gonadotrophins per study and might have affected the averaged total amount of gonadotrophins but is unlikely to have affected the differences in the amount between rFSH and HP-hMG or HP-FSH. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The differences in the required amount to reach a live birth between rFSH, HP-hMG and HP-FSH appear to be small. Decision-making should be based on convenience, availability, actual costs and patient preferences. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare no conflict of interest. No external funding was either sought or obtained for this study. REGISTRATION NUMBER: Prospero CRD42016038238

PHOTONS IN THE PROTON-INDUCED REACTION WITH IN AT E(P)=50-MEV

Photon emission in proton-induced reactions at 50 MeV with In-115 was studied. Analyses of the measured photon spectrum show that the GDR couples to the compound states as well as to pre-equilibrium states. The centroid and width of the GDR strength function were determined as E(GDR) = 15.4 +/- 0.7 MeV and GAMMA(GDR) = 6.2 +/- 0.5 MeV. From the measured gamma-ray yield above E(gamma) = 30 MeV, a value of (7.1 +/- 1.4) x 10(-5) for the hard-photon emission probability per single proton-neutron collision is inferred