bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parathyroid Autotransplantation during Thyroid Surgery
Authors: Christakis Ioannis , Constantinides Vasilis A , Tolley Neil S , Palazzo Fausto F
Published: December 2012

Postoperative hypoparathyroidism is the commonest permanent complication of thyroid surgery. It results from the removal or devascularization of the parathyroid glands. Parathyroid autotransplantation is a tool to retain parathyroid function and to decrease the need for prolonged pharmacological support. The basis of the technique that we describe in detail is that described by Wells et al. Overall the success rates of immediate autotransplantation range between 85 and 99% and technique appears to play a key role.

How to cite this article

Christakis I, Constantinides VA, Tolley NS, Palazzo FF. Parathyroid Autotransplantation during Thyroid Surgery. World J Endoc Surg 2012;4(3):115-117.
Intense Ga-68 Dotatate Uptake in Recurrent MTC Patient
Authors: Soydal Cigdem , Araz Mine , Kucuk Ozlem N , Ozkan Elgin , Demirer Taner
Published: December 2012

How to cite this article

Soydal C, Ozkan E, Araz M, Kucuk ON, Demirer T. Intense Ga-68 Dotatate Uptake in Recurrent MTC Patient . World J Endoc Surg 2012;4(3):118-119.
Evolution of social learning in lattice-structured populations
Authors: Tamura Kohei , Ihara Yasuo
Published: December 2012

Individual and social learning underpin human cultural diversity and successful expansion into diverse environments. The evolution of social learning has been a subject of active debate: in particular, recent studies considering whether spatial structure favors or disfavors the evolution of social learning have produced mixed results. Here we report the results of our computational experiments in lattice-structured populations, suggesting that spatial structure disfavors the evolution of social learning in a wide parameter region. Our results also indicate that the effect of spatial structure depends on the mode of cultural transmission (from whom social learners acquire behaviors) and the updating scheme (whether individuals update their strategies synchronously or asynchronously).
An Alternative to Business Plan Based Advice for Start-ups?
Authors: Bridge Simon , Hegarty Cecilia
Published: December 2012

Business plans are advocated by many business support professionals and others, such as educators in higher education institutions, because they suit their purposes. A typical view is that a business plan is ‘one of the most important steps in setting up any new business’ (Burns, 2011); but their hegemony is now being questioned. Sarasvathy (2008) suggests that effectuation is the method often favoured by expert entrepreneurs and this paper seeks to combine it with an exploration view of entrepreneurship to produce an alternative tool for start-up ventures. The paper compares the pros and cons of each approach and suggests that an exploration approach is often more natural, logical and effective than the business plan based alternative.
The Impact of Entrepreneurial Cognition on the Founding and Survival of New Small Businesses
Authors: Hird Andrew P.
Published: December 2012

This paper reports on an investigation into nascent entrepreneurship. Developing and sustaining a new business is a complex and uncertain process, and different types of individuals react to this uncertainty in different ways. It is argued that cognitive factors play a crucial role. Validated and reliable psychometric instruments were administered to 119 nascent entrepreneurs in the UK. The respondents were tracked through the nascent phase, business launch and to six months after launch. The findings indicate that cognitive style is not a predictor of nascent entrepreneurship but that it is highly influential in the process of founding a business. Both intuitive and analytic nascent entrepreneurs started businesses and cognitive style did not affect survival rates, but the process of business formation and survival developed in different ways. Most research to date has argued that an intuitive cognitive style is associated with the necessary characteristics for launching an entrepreneurial venture. It is possible that this conclusion has been drawn because most studies have been conducted among existing entrepreneurs. The findings of the present study indicate that, at the nascent stage of entrepreneurship, and particularly among inexperienced nascent entrepreneurs, this assertion is open to challenge. An awareness of an entrepreneur's cognitive style may assist those who seek to support and advise the nascent entrepreneur, but may also help individual entrepreneurs to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and, so, to develop appropriate strategies for business launch and survival.
Business Inspiration: Small Business Leadership in Recovery?
Authors: Rae David , Price Liz , Bosworth Gary , Parkinson Paul
Published: December 2012

Business Inspiration was a short, action-centred leadership and innovation development programme designed for owners and managers of smaller firms to address business survival and repositioning needs arising from the UK's economic downturn. The article examines the design and delivery of Business Inspiration and the impact of the programme on participants' learning experiences. It also assesses whether there are transferable lessons to be learned for the development of small firms in general. The article contributes new insights to the debate and the literature on owner–manager development in small firms. The authors propose that there is continuing need and demand for such learning. They examine the requirements for public-sector investment and for specific approaches and skill sets in designing, marketing and delivering effective programmes of this type.
Entrepreneurship as Everyday Practice: Towards a Personalized Pedagogy of Enterprise Education
Authors: Blenker Per , Frederiksen Signe Hedeboe , Korsgaard Steffen , Müller Sabine , Neergaard Helle , Thrane Claus
Published: December 2012

Adopting the perspective of ‘entrepreneurship as an everyday practice’ in education, the authors conceptualize opportunities as arising from the everyday practice of individuals. Opportunities are thus seen as emanating from the individual entrepreneur's ability to disclose anomalies and disharmonies in their personal life. The paper illustrates how opportunities unfold depending on regional differences, local heritage and gender, to show how entrepreneurship education must take into account differences in context, culture and circumstance. Rather than perceiving entrepreneurship education as universalistic and searching for a generally applicable teaching approach, the authors argue that there is a need to tailor entrepreneurship education to the particular. They therefore propose that the pedagogy of entrepreneurship education should be personalized and they build a conceptual framework that contrasts two opposing views of entrepreneurship education: ‘universalistic’ and ‘idiosyncratic’. Following this distinction, they explore how different elements of entrepreneurship education may be fitted to the particular needs of each individual learner. This insight is relevant for didactic reflections on single entrepreneurship courses and for the construction of an entrepreneurship education curriculum.
Impact of Entrepreneurship Teaching in Higher Education on the Employability of Scientists and Engineers
Authors: O'Leary Simon
Published: December 2012

This paper explores the impact effective entrepreneurship teaching has on the employability of scientists and engineers. Business teaching, guest speakers and work placements are part of many science and engineering degrees and this research indicates that entrepreneurship and related issues are also being addressed in a variety of ways and having a positive impact on student employability. It also benefits several other stakeholders, including the higher education institution, potential employers and government. This study aims to provide guidance on ways to improve entrepreneurship teaching for scientists and engineers in higher education, so that their employability is enhanced through the ‘3Cs’ – content, capability and character.
Disturbance of Opportunistic Small-Celled Phytoplankton in Lake Kinneret
Authors: Kamenir Yury , Dubinsky Zvy
Published: December 2012

In spite of the chaotic dynamics of specific populations, similarity of annual species-abundance distributions was proven for phytoplankton assemblage during a “stable” period (1985–1994) of Lake Kinneret (Israel). This similarity declined during the “extreme” years (1995–1999) that followed, characterized by explicit changes in the phytoplankton annual-succession pattern. The rank-abundance distributions of species exhibit a pronounced difference between the taxonomically rich central region, producing the reliable assemblage backbone and highly variable tails of a few species. Therefore, the distribution pattern comparison enhances the importance of ubiquitous small disturbances valuable for diagnostics. Some phyla (in this case, Cyanophyta) were especially vulnerable to structural changes. A simple disturbance index was constructed, based on opportunistic small-celled species. The fine-structure disturbances, which can provide early-warning information, are discussed.
The Relationship between Renal Dysfunction and Abnormalities of the Immune System in Patients with Decompensated Cirrhosis
Authors: Kakazu Eiji , Kondo Yasuteru , Shimosegawa Tooru
Published: December 2012

In patients with advanced cirrhosis, not only hepatocellular carcinoma but also bacterial infections, such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) or pneumonia, are frequent clinical complications in such immune-compromised patients. These pathologies often progress to renal dysfunction, especially hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). The central pathology of HRS is splanchnic arterial vasodilation and hyperpermeability followed by bacterial translocation (BT). BT induces a severe inflammatory response in the peritoneal lymphoid tissue, with the activation of the immune systems and the long-lasting production of vasoactive mediators that can impair the circulatory function and cause renal failure. Recent studies report that the plasma amino acid imbalance appeared to be related to an abnormality of the immune system in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. This paper can provide a new approach for future studies of the pathology in cirrhotic patients with renal dysfunction.
Integrating Imaging Data into Predictive Biomathematical and Biophysical Models of Cancer
Authors: Yankeelov Thomas E.
Published: December 2012

While there is a mature literature on biomathematical and biophysical modeling in cancer, many of the existing approaches are not of clinical utility, as they require input data that are extremely difficult to obtain in an intact organism, and/or require a large number of assumptions on the free parameters included in the models. Thus, there has only been very limited application of such models to solve problems of clinical import. More recently, however, there has been increased activity at the interface of quantitative, noninvasive imaging data, and tumor mathematical modeling. In addition to reporting on bulk tumor morphology and volume, emerging imaging techniques can quantitatively report on for example tumor vascularity, glucose metabolism, cell density and proliferation, and hypoxia. In this paper, we first motivate the problem of predicting therapy response by highlighting some (acknowledged) shortcomings in existing methods. We then provide introductions to a number of representative quantitative imaging methods and describe how they are currently (and potentially can be) used to initialize and constrain patient specific mathematical and biophysical models of tumor growth and treatment response, thereby increasing the clinical utility of such approaches. We conclude by highlighting some of the exciting research directions when one integrates quantitative imaging and tumor modeling.
Direct Recovery of Clean Speech Using a Hybrid Noise Suppression Algorithm for Robust Speech Recognition System
Authors: Dai Peng , Soon Ing Yann , Tao Rui
Published: December 2012

A new log-power domain feature enhancement algorithm named NLPS is developed. It consists of two parts, direct solution of nonlinear system model and log-power subtraction. In contrast to other methods, the proposed algorithm does not need prior speech/noise statistical model. Instead, it works by direct solution of the nonlinear function derived from the speech recognition system. Separate steps are utilized to refine the accuracy of estimated cepstrum by log-power subtraction, which is the second part of the proposed algorithm. The proposed algorithm manages to solve the speech probability distribution function (PDF) discontinuity problem caused by traditional spectral subtraction series algorithms. The effectiveness of the proposed filter is extensively compared using the standard database, AURORA2. The results show that significant improvement can be achieved by incorporating the proposed algorithm. The proposed algorithm reaches a recognition rate of over 86% for noisy speech (average from SNR 0 dB to 20 dB), which means a 48% error reduction over the baseline Mel-frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC) system.
The Potential Benefit by Application of Kinetic Analysis of PET in the Clinical Oncology
Authors: Takesh Mustafa
Published: December 2012

PET is an appropriate method to display the functional activities in target tissue using many types of traces. The visual assessment of PET images plus the semiquantitative parameter (SUV) are the main diagnostic standards considered in identifying the malignant lesion. However, these standards lack occasionally the proper specificity and/or sensitivity. That emphasizes the importance of considering supplemental diagnostic criteria such as the kinetic parameter. The latter gives the way to image the ongoing metabolic processes within the target tissue as well as to identify the alterations occurring at the microscale level before they become observable in the conventional PET-imaging.
The importance of kinetic analysis of PET imaging has increased with newly developed PET devices that offer images of good quality and high spatial resolution.
In this paper, we highlighted the potential contribution of kinetic analysis in improving the diagnostic accuracy in intracranial tumour, lung tumour, liver tumour, colorectal tumour, bone and soft tissue tumours, and prostate cancer. Moreover, we showed that the appropriate therapy monitoring can be best achieved after considering the kinetic parameters. These promising results indicate that the kinetic analysis of PET imaging may become an essential part in preclinical and clinical molecular imaging as well.
Evaluation of the Properties of Cemented Liquid Scintillator Wastes under Flooding Scenario in Various Aqueous Media
Authors: El-Didamony H. , Bayoumi T. A. , Sayed M. I.
Published: December 2012

Experiments simulating flooding scenario in various aqueous media for a long period were carried out to determine the adequacy of cement-clay composite for solidification/stabilization of spent organic radioactive liquid scintillator wastes. The final cement waste form blocks were immersed in three aqueous media, namely, seawater, groundwater, and tapwater. The immersion process lasted for increasing periods up to 540 days. Following each predetermined interval period, physical and mechanical evaluations of the immersed blocks were determined. In addition, the change in the hydration products was followed by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy as nondestructive analyses to recognize the deterioration in the microstructure that may occur due to the flooding event. Thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy were performed to confirm the data obtained.
Steam Reforming of Glycerol for Hydrogen Production over Ni/SiO2 Catalyst
Authors: Sadanandam G. , Sreelatha N. , Phanikrishna Sharma M. V. , Kishta Reddy S. , Srinivas B. , Venkateswarlu K. , Krishnudu T. , Subrahmanyam M. , Durga Kumari V.
Published: December 2012

The performance of Ni/SiO2 catalyst for glycerol reforming has been investigated in fixed-bed reactor using careful tailoring of the operational conditions. In this paper, a commercial Engelhard catalyst has been sized and compared to gas product distribution versus catalyst size, water-to-carbon ratio, and stability of the catalyst system. Ni/SiO2 catalysts of three sizes (2×2, 2×4, and 3×5 mm) are evaluated using glycerol: water mixture at 600°C to produce 2 L H2 g−1 cat h−1. The results indicate that 3×5 mm size pellet is showing minimum coking and maintaining same level of conversion even after several hours of reforming activity. Whereas studies on 2×2 and 2×4 mm pellets indicate that carbon formation is affecting the reforming activity. Under accelerated aging studies, with 1 : 9 molar ratio of glycerol to water, 3 mg carbon g−1 cat h−1 was generated in 20 cycles, whereas 1 : 18 feed produced only 1.5 mg carbon g−1 cat h−1 during the same cycles of operation. The catalysts were characterized before and after evaluation by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), CHNS analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS).
Effect of Adolescent Obesity on Cardiometabolic Risk in African-Americans and Caucasians
Authors: Hoffman Robert P.
Published: December 2012

African-Americans have more hypertension, stroke, and type 2 diabetes than do Caucasians. Endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance are precursors for each. Since these diseases have origins in pediatrics and are associated with obesity, this study was designed to determine if obesity has different effects on endothelial function, insulin sensitivity, and secretion in African-American and Caucasian adolescents. Thirty-three Caucasian and 25 African-Americans (10–18 years old) were subdivided by BMI into lean, overweight, and obesity groups. Endothelial function was measured as forearm vascular resistance (FVR) over 1 min following 5 min of upper arm vascular occlusion. Insulin sensitivity and secretion were measured using intravenous glucose tolerance test and minimal model. Postocclusive FVR was significantly increased in obese African-Americans. Insulin sensitivity was reduced in obese subjects but did not differ by race. Insulin secretion was increased in African-Americans but did not differ by obesity. Subjects were subdivided into risk groups based on 20th percentile for postocclusion FVR response in lean. Seven of nine obese African-Americans were in the high risk group compared to 0 of 5 obese Caucasians. These results demonstrate that obesity significantly impairs endothelial function in African-Americans. Endothelial dysfunction likely predisposes to future cardiometabolic disease in obese African-American adolescents.
System Reliability at the Crossroads
Authors: Volovoi Vitali
Published: December 2012

This paper surveys the current state of research related to the modeling and prediction of failures of engineering systems. It is argued that while greater understanding of the physics of failure has led to significant progress at the component level, there are significant challenges remaining at the system level. System reliability, a field of applied mathematics that addresses the latter challenges, is at a juncture where fundamental changes are likely. On the one hand, the traditional part of the field entered a phase of diminishing returns, largely having followed the trajectory of the Cold-War era technology development: golden years of rapid growth in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by maturation and slowing down in the ensuing decades. On the other hand, the convergence of several technologies related to data collection and processing, combined with important changes in engineering business and government priorities, has created the potential for a perfect storm that can revive and fundamentally transform the field; however, for this transformation to occur, some serious obstacles need to be overcome. The paper examines these obstacles along with several key areas of research that can provide enabling tools for this transformation.
The Interaction between Base Compositional Heterogeneity and Among-Site Rate Variation in Models of Molecular Evolution
Authors: Sheffield Nathan C.
Published: December 2012

Many commonly used models of molecular evolution assume homogeneous nucleotide frequencies. A deviation from this assumption has been shown to cause problems for phylogenetic inference. However, some claim that only extreme heterogeneity affects phylogenetic accuracy and suggest that violations of other model assumptions, such as variable rates among sites, are more problematic. In order to explore the interaction between compositional heterogeneity and variable rates among sites, I reanalyzed 3 real heterogeneous datasets using several models. My Bayesian inference recovers accurate topologies under variable rates-among-sites models, but fails under some models that account for compositional heterogeneity. I also ran simulations and found that accounting for rates among sites improves topology accuracy in compositionally heterogeneous data. This indicates that in some cases, models accounting for among-site rate variation can improve outcomes for data that violates the assumption of compositional homogeneity.
Gröbner Bases and Minimum Distance of Affine Varieties Codes
Authors: Carvalho Cícero
Published: December 2012

Nesse trabalho apresentamos um método para estimar a distância mínima de códigos de variedades afins. Nossa técnica usa propriedades da pegada de um ideal obtido através do aumento do ideal de definição da variedade em questão. Ela também pode ser aplicada a códigos de que não são produzidos utilizando-se domínios-pesos, e o trabalho contém um exemplo desse caso.
One year later: Utility transfer delivers value to Indianapolis residents
Authors: Harrison Jeff , Sherman David
Published: December 2012

The city of Indianapolis, Ind., facing billions of dollars in consent decrees and infrastructure redevelopment costs, transferred its utilities to a public trust.
Research findings: What utility managers need to know
Authors: Speight Vanessa
Published: December 2012

With quantitative polymerase chain reaction increasingly being used in the water quality field, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of this technology.
West Virginia utility responds to the storm of the century
Authors: McIntyre Jeffrey L.
Published: December 2012

A recounting of the challenges and successes of West Virginia American Water's response to a rare “derecho,” or superstorm in June 2012 underscores the need for detailed emergency response planning and the value of a dedicated and well‐trained team.
Potential Precedents With Perchlorate
Authors: Roberson J. Alan
Published: December 2012

With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) scheduled to publish the proposed perchlorate regulation sometime this year, the likely prospect of a few regulatory precedents that would be significant for the drinking water community won't be far behind. Perchlorate has been a contaminant of concern for the drinking water community for more than a decade, and the USEPA listed perchlorate on the First, Second, and Third Contaminant Candidate Lists in 1998, 2005, and 2009, respectively.
Tapping All Resources for Recovery and Disaster Funding
Authors: Spence Shannon , Goldbloom‐Helzner David , Weisman Richard , Keane Patricia
Published: December 2012

Drinking water and wastewater utilities in the United States have experienced various types of disasters, including floods, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Major disasters can disrupt water/wastewater operations and cause significant damage, such as flooding of treatment facilities, destruction of water towers, loss of critical power supply, inoperable pump stations, and multiple breaks in water mains. The costs to respond after an incident can be overwhelming, and it takes days, weeks, months, or years to recover.
Diversity in Puerto Rico's Local Companies
Authors: Ortiz Albert
Published: December 2012

When it comes to diversity in an organization, people usually think it involves counting, adding, or in some way having a representation of people with different skin color or gender. However, diversity is much more than that. Diversity is more than a theoretical concept ‐ it is putting into practice every day the familiar humanist statement ‐ We are all equal.
Storability and Chips Quality of Chemical Treated Potatoes under Ordinary Condition
Authors: Ishwori P. Gautam  , Moha D. Sharma  , Bhim B. Khatri  , Resham B. Thapa  , Kanti Shrestha
Published: December 2012

Storage experiments were conducted under ordinary room conditions in the mid hill, Khumaltar (1350 masl ; meter above sea level) and high hills, Daman (2200 masl) of Nepal during the summer season of 2011 to find out the effect of chemical treatments and their time of applications on storability and chips qualities of potato cv. Kufri Jyoti. Chemicals treatments were; CIPC (Isopropyl N (3 chlorophenyl) carbamate), hydrogen peroxide and calcium chloride, which were applied as a single dose (before storage) and double dose (before and at 45 days in storage). Ordinary water treated potatoes served as control. The treatments were replicated thrice. Apparently healthy tubers > 60 gram weight after different chemical treatments were stored in bamboo racks and wooden tray, respectively at Kumaltar and Daman for 120 days. Observations were recorded on weight loss percentage (WLP), sprouting percentage, numbers and weight of sprouts and quality parameters for chips. Double fumigation with CIPC was effective for inhibition of sprouting and reduction of postharvest loss up to 120 days in both the locations. On the other hand the better colour of the chips was produced by two times hydrogen peroxide treated potatoes.
Tissue Factor Structure and Function
Authors: Butenas Saulius
Published: December 2012

Tissue factor (TF) is an integral membrane protein that is essential to life. It is a component of the factor VIIa-TF complex enzyme and plays a primary role in both normal hemostasis and thrombosis. With a vascular injury, TF becomes exposed to blood and binds plasma factor VIIa, and the resulting complex initiates a series of enzymatic reactions leading to clot formation and vascular sealing. Many cells, both healthy, and tumor cells, produce detectable amounts of TF, especially when they are stimulated by various agents. Despite the relative simplicity and small size of TF, there are numerous contradictory reports about the synthesis and presentation of TF on blood cells and circulation in normal blood either on microparticles or as a soluble protein. Another subject of controversy is related to the structure/function of TF. It has been almost commonly accepted that cell-surface-associated TF has low (if any) activity, that is, is “encrypted” and requires specific conditions/reagents to become active, that is, “decrypted.” However there is a lack of agreement related to the mechanism and processes leading to alterations in TF function. In this paper TF structure, presentation, and function, and controversies concerning these features are discussed.
Adorno, Theodor W.
Authors: Hammer Espen
Published: December 2012

Theodor W. Adorno (1903–69) was a key member and Director of the Institute for Social Research, which opened in 1924 and later became known as the Frankfurt School
Inheritance
Authors: Haslett D. W.
Published: December 2012

Philosophers challenge conventional beliefs, beliefs that most people, without much thought, simply assume to be justified. One such belief is that it is quite natural, and justified, for wealth to be inherited. But, long ago, the inheritance of political power was, for good reasons, abolished virtually everywhere. Why not now, it might be asked, abolish the inheritance of economic power, of wealth?
Incommensurability (and Incomparability)
Authors: Chang Ruth
Published: December 2012

When two items are incommensurable, they “lack a common measure.” There are, however, many ways in which two items can be said to lack a common measure and, correspondingly, philosophers have used the term “incommensurable” to cover a jumble of loosely related ideas.
Agent‐Relative vs. Agent‐Neutral
Authors: Portmore Douglas W.
Published: December 2012

The agent‐relative/agent‐neutral distinction has been drawn with respect to many things, including values, normative theories, and reasons for action.
Intergenerational Ethics
Authors: Mulgan Tim
Published: December 2012

Unless something goes drastically wrong in the next few centuries, most of the people who will ever live are yet to be born. Our actions have little impact on those who are dead, considerable impact on those currently alive, and potentially enormous impact on those who will live in the future. Our decisions affect who those future people will be, and even if there will be any future people at all. The threat of environmental crisis gives us some inkling of the magnitude of our impact on future generations. Only in the last few decades have moral philosophers really begun to grapple with the complexities of intergenerational ethics. Underlying their often technical debates are some of the deepest moral questions. What makes life worth living? What do we owe to our descendants? How do we balance their needs against our own?
Adversarial System of Justice
Authors: Wendel W. Bradley
Published: December 2012

“Adversarial” is a term used to describe the legal system in jurisdictions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, all of which share the heritage of English common law.
Literature and Ethics
Authors: Crary Alice
Published: December 2012

Recent conversations about “literature and ethics” tend to focus not on general questions about ways in which literature is capable of enriching moral philosophy, but on the quite specific question of whether literature considered as literature can inform moral philosophy by directly contributing to moral understanding. This essay summarizes core concerns of these conversations and compares them with concerns of two additional, related, sets of discussions, namely, discussions in contemporary European philosophy about the relationship between literature and philosophy and discussions in aesthetics about the possibility of what is called “ethical criticism”.
Medical Tourism
Authors: Snyder Jeremy
Published: December 2012

Medical tourism is the intentional pursuit of non‐emergency medical care by patients outside their nation of residence and typically paid for out of pocket (Ramirez de Arellano 2007). Medical tourism can be distinguished from emergency care received by travelers who become ill while abroad and from cross‐border care arrangements that are part of a planned healthcare delivery system. Medical tourism is thought to be a growing phenomenon, with low and middle income countries such as India, Thailand, and Costa Rica increasingly serving as destinations for medical tourists from both high and low income countries to middle income countries. Medical tourists are motivated by a variety of factors, including availability of specific procedures, cost of treatments, and wait times for treatment in the patient's home country (Turner 2007).
African American Religious Ethics
Authors: Anderson Victor
Published: December 2012

Many entry points exist into African American religious ethics. For instance, there are historical, social, and theological interpretations.
Instrumental Value
Authors: Bradley Ben
Published: December 2012

Instrumental value, or value as a means, is a sort of extrinsic (non‐intrinsic) value (
see
Intrinsic Value). Instrumental and extrinsic value are sometimes identified (e.g., Frankena 1963: 65), but instrumental value is only one sort of extrinsic value; something might be valuable as a part, or as a sign, rather than as a means (Bradley 1998). Although intrinsic value has the more central place in moral theory, and has generated much more philosophical discussion, most of the things to which we normally attribute value are instrumentally valuable – for example, money, food, consumer goods, education, health, and friendship. Some of those things might also be intrinsically good, but in most cases this is a matter of controversy; for example, some say that knowledge is intrinsically good, while others say it is merely instrumentally good, in virtue of helping us achieve other goods.
Arrow's Theorem
Authors: Gaus Gerald
Published: December 2012

Kenneth J. Arrow first presented his “general possibility theorem” (more often called the “impossibility theorem”) in 1951; subsequently the theorem has been refined, and has been reformulated in a variety of ways (Gaertner 2006).
Assassination
Authors: Teson Fernando R.
Published: December 2012

Assassination is the extrajudicial intentional killing of an identified person for a political purpose.
Aquinas, Saint Thomas
Authors: Boyle Joseph
Published: December 2012

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–74) was a Roman Catholic priest and theologian. He was a member of the Order of Preachers (the “Dominicans”), a mendicant order founded specifically for preaching and the learning it requires.
Amnesty
Authors: Murphy Colleen
Published: December 2012

An amnesty is “an extraordinary legal measure whose primary function is to remove the prospect and consequences of criminal liability for designated individuals or classes of persons in respect of designated types of offenses irrespective of whether the persons concerned have been tried for such offenses in a court of law” (Freeman 2011).
Augustine, Saint
Authors: Couenhoven Jesse
Published: December 2012

Especially for those who read only his Confessions, it can be tempting to think of Saint Augustine (354–430) as modern.
Idealization in Ethics
Authors: Tropman Elizabeth
Published: December 2012

Idealization procedures play an important role in many ethical theories. The concept of an idealized individual, one who possesses certain perfections or other desirable qualities, can represent a useful moral exemplar and provide moral guidance. Reflecting upon what would be true in a sufficiently idealized world may also tell us what we should do in actual, nonideal circumstances. Appeals to idealization vary according to which normative notion is the target of analysis: morality, value, or reasons for action. Such accounts also disagree about the proper object of idealization and how to characterize the idealization process.
2D optical photon echo spectroscopy of a self‐assembled quantum dot
Authors: Fingerhut Benjamin P. , Richter Marten , Luo Jun‐Wei , Zunger Alex , Mukamel Shaul
Published: December 2012

Simulations of two dimensional coherent photon echo (2D‐PE) spectra of self‐assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QD) in different charged states are presented revealing the coupling between the individual mono‐exciton transitions and contributions of bi‐excitons . The information about the states is crucial for various application scenarios of QDs, like e.g. highly efficient solar cells. The simulations rely on a microscopic description of the electronic structure by high‐level atomistic many‐body pseudopotential calculations. It is shown that asymmetric diagonal peak shapes and double cross‐peaks are the result of state contributions to the PE signal by analyzing the contributions of the individual pathways excited state emission, ground state bleach and excited state absorption. The results show that from the detuned and contributions the bi‐exciton binding energies of the manifold are revealed in 2D‐PE signals.
Brief Report: AA Amyloidosis Complicating the Hereditary Periodic Fever Syndromes
Authors: Lane Thirusha , Loeffler Jutta M. , Rowczenio Dorota M. , Gilbertson Janet A. , Bybee Alison , Russell Tonia L. , Gillmore Julian D. , Wechalekar Ashutosh D. , Hawkins Philip N. , Lachmann Helen J.
Published: December 2012

Objective

AA amyloidosis is a life‐threatening complication of the hereditary periodic fever syndromes (HPFS), which are otherwise often compatible with normal life expectancy. This study was undertaken to determine the characteristics, presentation, natural history, and response to treatment in 46 patients who had been referred for evaluation at the UK National Amyloidosis Centre.

Methods

Disease activity was monitored by serial measurement of serum amyloid A. Renal function was assessed by measurement of serum creatinine and albumin levels, the estimated glomerular filtration rate, and proteinuria from 24‐hour urine collections. The amyloid load was measured by serum amyloid P scintigraphy.

Results

Twenty‐four patients had familial Mediterranean fever, 12 patients had tumor necrosis factor receptor–associated periodic syndrome, 6 patients had cryopyrin‐associated periodic syndromes, and 4 patients had mevalonate kinase deficiency. The median age at onset of HPFS was 5 years; median age at presentation with AA amyloidosis was 38 years. Diagnosis of an HPFS had not been considered prior to presentation with AA amyloidosis in 23 patients (50%). Eleven patients (24%) had end‐stage renal failure (ESRF) at presentation; of these, 3 had received transplants prior to referral. A further 13 patients developed ESRF over the followup period, with 10 undergoing renal transplantation. The median time to progression to ESRF from onset of AA amyloidosis was 3.3 years (interquartile range [IQR] 2–8), with a median time to transplant of 4 years (IQR 3–6). Eleven patients (24%) died. The median survival in the entire cohort was 19 years from diagnosis of AA amyloidosis. Of the 37 patients who were treated successfully, or in whom at least partial suppression of the underlying HPFS was achieved, 17 (46%) showed amyloid regression, 14 (38%) showed a stable amyloid load, and 2 (5%) showed increased amyloid deposition over the followup period.

Conclusion

AA amyloidosis remains a challenging and serious late complication of HPFS; however, outcomes are excellent when HPFS is diagnosed early enough to allow effective treatment, thus preventing or retarding further amyloid deposition and organ damage.
Presence and Role of Anti–Citrullinated Protein Antibodies in Experimental Arthritis Models
Authors: Cantaert Tineke , Teitsma Christine , Tak Paul P. , Baeten Dominique
Published: December 2012

Objective

Anti–citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) are the serologic hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis. Functional studies on the role of ACPAs in experimental arthritis have yielded conflicting results, and therefore the present study was undertaken to assess systematically whether citrullinated proteins can really induce ACPAs and modulate arthritis in mice.

Methods

Balb/c, SJL, and DBA/1 mice were immunized with either native or citrullinated fibrinogen, myelin basic protein (MBP), and type II collagen (CII). ACPAs were detected with a peptide‐based enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and with Western blotting using fibrinogen as substrate. Arthritis was induced in mice by immunization with CII in Freund's complete adjuvant or by injection of anticollagen antibodies.

Results

Analysis of the sera of mice immunized with citrullinated proteins revealed false‐positive results with the citrulline peptide–based ELISA. In contrast, Western blot analysis using either citrullinated or native fibrinogen as substrate reliably detected ACPAs in Balb/c mice immunized with citrullinated fibrinogen, MBP, and CII. However, these ACPAs failed to induce or aggravate disease in Balb/c mice in the anticollagen antibody–induced arthritis model. Immunization with citrullinated fibrinogen induced ACPAs but did not lead to arthritis development in SJL and DBA/1 mice. In contrast, immunization with citrullinated CII failed to induce ACPAs or enhance disease in these strains in the collagen‐induced arthritis model.

Conclusion

Mice can develop genuine ACPAs, but detection of ACPAs is highly dependent on strain, immunogen, immunization protocol, and detection assay. Murine ACPAs are not overtly pathogenic, since neither preexisting ACPAs nor the use of citrullinated collagen as immunogen modulates the clinical course of arthritis.
Differential Role of Lipocalin 2 During Immune Complex–Mediated Acute and Chronic Inflammation in Mice
Authors: Shashidharamurthy Rangaiah , Machiah Deepa , Aitken Jesse D. , Putty Kalyani , Srinivasan Gayathri , Chassaing Benoit , Parkos Charles A. , Selvaraj Periasamy , Vijay‐Kumar Matam
Published: December 2012

Objective

Lipocalin 2 (LCN‐2) is an innate immune protein that is expressed by a variety of cells and is highly up‐regulated during several pathologic conditions, including immune complex (IC)–mediated inflammatory/autoimmune disorders. However, the function of LCN‐2 during IC‐mediated inflammation is largely unknown. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the role of LCN‐2 in IC‐mediated diseases.

Methods

The up‐regulation of LCN‐2 was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 3 different mouse models of IC‐mediated autoimmune disease: systemic lupus erythematosus, collagen‐induced arthritis, and serum‐transfer arthritis. The in vivo role of LCN‐2 during IC‐mediated inflammation was investigated using LCN‐2–knockout mice and their wild‐type littermates.

Results

LCN‐2 levels were significantly elevated in all 3 of the autoimmune disease models. Further, in an acute skin inflammation model, LCN‐2–knockout mice exhibited a 50% reduction in inflammation, with histopathologic analysis revealing notably reduced immune cell infiltration as compared to wild‐type mice. Administration of recombinant LCN‐2 to LCN‐2–knockout mice restored inflammation to levels observed in wild‐type mice. Neutralization of LCN‐2 using a monoclonal antibody significantly reduced inflammation in wild‐type mice. In contrast, LCN‐2–knockout mice developed more severe serum‐induced arthritis compared to wild‐type mice. Histologic analysis revealed extensive tissue and bone destruction, with significantly reduced neutrophil infiltration but considerably more macrophage migration, in LCN‐2–knockout mice compared to wild‐type mice.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that LCN‐2 may regulate immune cell recruitment to the site of inflammation, a process essential for the controlled initiation, perpetuation, and resolution of inflammatory processes. Thus, LCN‐2 may present a promising target in the treatment of IC‐mediated inflammatory/autoimmune diseases.
The Fibromyalgia Family Study: A Genome‐Wide Linkage Scan Study
Authors: Arnold Lesley M. , Fan Jinbo , Russell I. Jon , Yunus Muhammad B. , Khan Muhammad Asim , Kushner Irving , Olson Jane M. , Iyengar Sudha K.
Published: December 2012

Objective

Familial aggregation of fibromyalgia has been increasingly recognized. The goal of this study was to conduct a genome‐wide linkage scan to identify susceptibility loci for fibromyalgia.

Methods

We genotyped members of 116 families from the Fibromyalgia Family Study and performed a model‐free genome‐wide linkage analysis of fibromyalgia with 341 microsatellite markers, using the Haseman‐Elston regression approach.

Results

The estimated sibling recurrence risk ratio (λs) for fibromyalgia was 13.6 (95% confidence interval 10.0–18.5), based on a reported population prevalence of 2%. Genome‐wide suggestive evidence of linkage was observed at markers D17S2196 (empirical P [Pe] = 0.00030) and D17S1294 (Pe = 0.00035) on chromosome 17p11.2–q11.2.

Conclusion

The estimated sibling recurrence risk ratio (λs) observed in this study suggests a strong genetic component of fibromyalgia. This is the first report of genome‐wide suggestive linkage of fibromyalgia to the chromosome 17p11.2–q11.2 region. Further investigation of these multicase families from the Fibromyalgia Family Study is warranted to identify potential causal risk variants for fibromyalgia.
Formation of T‐Shaped versus Charge‐Transfer Molecular Adducts in the Reactions Between Bis(thiocarbonyl) Donors and Br2 and I2
Authors: Mancini Annalisa , Aragoni M. Carla , Bricklebank Neil , Castellano Carlo , Demartin Francesco , Isaia Francesco , Lippolis Vito , Pintus Anna , Arca Massimiliano
Published: December 2012

The reactions of 4,5,6,7‐tetrathiocino‐[1,2‐b:3,4‐b′]‐1,3,8,10‐tetrasubstituted‐diimidazolyl‐2,9‐dithiones (R2,R′2‐todit; 1: R=R′=Et; 2: R=R′=Ph; 3: R=Et, R′=Ph) with Br2 exclusively afforded 1:1 and 1:2 “T‐shaped” adducts, as established by FT‐Raman spectroscopy and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction in the case of complex 1⋅2 Br2. On the other hand, the reactions of compounds 1–3 with molecular I2 provided charge‐transfer (CT) “spoke” adducts, among which the solvated species 3⋅2 I2⋅(1−x)I2⋅x CH2Cl2 (x=0.94) and (3)2⋅7 I2⋅x CH2Cl2, (x=0.66) were structurally characterized. The nature of all of the reaction products was elucidated based on elemental analysis and FT‐Raman spectroscopy and supported by theoretical calculations at the DFT level.
Parameterization of Sampled‐Data H∞ Output Feedback Controllers for General Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Wu Jenq‐Lang , Yung Chee‐Fai
Published: December 2012

In this paper, we consider the H∞ control problem for general nonlinear systems under sampled measurements. Sufficient conditions for the existence of H∞ output feedback controllers are derived. The major contribution of this paper is to characterize a family of H∞ output feedback controllers for nonaffine nonlinear systems under sampled measurements.
Interaction between HIV protease inhibitors (PIs) and hepatic transporters in sandwich cultured human hepatocytes: implication for PI‐based DDIs
Authors: Liu Li , Unadkat Jashvant D.
Published: December 2012

Although HIV protease inhibitors (PIs) produce profound metabolic interactions through inactivation/inhibition of CYP3A enzymes, their role as victims of transporter‐based drug–drug interactions (DDIs) is less well understood. Therefore, this study investigated if the PIs, nelfinavir (NFV), ritonavir (RTV), lopinavir (LPV) or amprenavir (APV) were transported into sandwich‐cultured human hepatocytes (SCHH), and whether OATPs contributed to this transport. The findings showed that, except for 3H‐APV, no significant decrease in the total hepatocyte accumulation of the 3H‐PIs was detected in the presence of the corresponding unlabeled PI, indicating that the uptake of the other PIs was not mediated. Further, hepatocyte biliary efflux studies using 3H‐APV and unlabeled APV confirmed this decrease to be due to inhibition of sinusoidal influx transporter(s) and not the canalicular efflux transporters. Moreover, this sinusoidal transport of APV was not OATP‐mediated. The results indicate that the hepatic uptake of NFV, RTV or LPV was primarily mediated by passive diffusion. The hepatic uptake of APV was mediated by an unidentified sinusoidal transporter(s). Therefore, NFV, RTV or LPV will not be victims of DDIs involving inhibition of hepatic influx transporters; however, the disposition of APV may be affected if its sinusoidal transport is inhibited. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.