bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying the effect of a cancer diagnosis on Medicare payments and use according to new public use files
Authors: Prada Sergio I.
Published: October 2013

New public use data sets available from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services include a cancer indicator that allows for interesting comparisons with other chronic conditions among Medicare beneficiaries. When compared with beneficiaries with no chronic conditions, Medicare beneficiaries with a cancer diagnosis and no other chronic condition cost 5 times more and result in 5 times as many inpatient admissions.
A single and multiple dose study to investigate the pharmacokinetics of a prolonged release formulation of ropinirole in healthy Chinese subjects
Authors: Liu Hongzhong , Jiang Ji , Wang Hongyun , Chen Xia , Liu Tao , Cao Haijun , Palmer Jonathan , Gu Anita , Hu Pei
Published: October 2013

An open‐label, single, and 7‐day multiple dose study was conducted to investigate the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of a prolonged release formulation of ropinirole 2 mg in healthy Chinese male (n = 12) and female (n = 12) subjects. After single doses, median tmax was 8 hours and mean was 5.26 hours. After 7 days dosing, median tmax was 6 hours ( not determined). Systemic exposure, AUC and Cmax, following multiple and single dosing was similar (mean AUC(0–τ) (h ng/mL): 23.84 vs. AUC(0–∞): 22.13; Cmax (ng/mL) 1.48 vs. 1.21, respectively). Systemic exposure was higher in females than males following single doses (mean AUC(0–24) (h ng/mL): 21.45 vs. 15.48; P = 0.009; Cmax (ng/mL): 1.40 vs. 0.99; P = 0.014, respectively), but similar at steady state (mean AUC(0–τ) (h ng/mL): 24.96 vs. 22.62; Cmax (ng/mL): 1.56 vs. 1.39, respectively). Estimated accumulation ratio was 1.29 (90% CI: 1.11, 1.51). Ropinirole did not display time‐dependent pharmacokinetics (estimated steady state ratio: 1.09; 90% CI: 0.93, 1.27). The most common adverse events included dizziness and oral ulcer. In conclusion, Chinese subjects displayed predictable absorption, exposure and elimination following the prolonged release formulation of ropinirole 2 mg. The safety findings are consistent with the previously established safety profile for ropinirole.
Parylene AF‐4 via the Trapping of a Phenoxy Leaving Group
Authors: Senkevich Jay J.
Published: October 2013

A unique method of depositing parylene AF‐4 via the cleavage and trapping of a phenoxy leaving group is presented. The leaving group is non‐corrosive and the synthetic routes can be readily scalable. The method presented only works with parylene AF‐4 because its threshold temperature (∼30°C) is lower than the melting point of the phenoxy radical (∼40°C). This method may prove to be a viable route for low‐cost deposition of parylene AF‐4 and its widespread use as a conformal coating where superior UV and oxidative stability is needed.
Examining implicit attitudes toward emaciation and thinness in anorexia nervosa
Authors: Smith April R. , Joiner Thomas E. , Dodd Dorian R.
Published: October 2013

Objective

To determine if females with anorexia nervosa (AN) associate emaciation with beauty by examining implicit attitudes toward emaciated bodies relative to thin bodies.

Method

Thirty women with AN and 29 healthy control women were primed by viewing images of either emaciated or thin women. Participants then completed a lexical decision task (LDT), wherein they distinguished words from nonwords as quickly and accurately as possible. Response times were measured. Real words consisted of beautiful, ugly, neutral, and positive words. Body mass index (BMI) was measured and several clinical interviews were completed, including the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire 4 (EDEQ‐4).

Results

There was a significant effect of group in the emaciated condition; participants with AN responded faster to both beautiful and ugly words than control women did. Eating disorder symptom severity (as measured by the EDEQ‐4 subscales) predicted the strength of the association between emaciation and beauty.

Discussion

At an implicit, automatic level, women with AN in this study had stronger associations between emaciation and both beauty and ugliness than control women did, suggesting that women with AN may have atypical beliefs about beauty. Thin ideal internalization is an important factor in the development and maintenance of eating disorders; the type of thin ideal being internalized may be important to consider, particularly given the extent to which pro‐eating disorder websites promote idealization of emaciation. The associations found by using the LDT highlight the utility of implicit measures, particularly when conducting assessments involving sensitive or atypical beliefs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2014; 47:138–147)
A multimetric model to assess the biological quality of the Cabe River, NW Spain
Authors: Cuadrado V. , Neira X. X. , Cuesta T. S.
Published: October 2013

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes the need to define specific reference conditions for the assessment of river ecosystems. This paper presents a multimetric index for assessment of biological quality in a river ecosystem using benthic macroinvertebrates. The study area corresponds to the headwater of the Cabe River, Northwest Spain, upstream of the irrigation dam at Ribasaltas, a water catchment for irrigation in the Lemos Valley area. Because Lemos Valley is an important irrigation district located in an area with key environmental features, defining the quality objectives that must be used to assess the impact of agriculture becomes essential. In our research, reference stations were chosen on the basis of a number of strict conservation criteria, and the macroinvertebrate community present in those stations was analysed. Following the verification of the homogeneity of environmental features in the study area, we selected the biological indices and metrics that provided the strongest correlations between the condition of the macroinvertebrate community and the overall environmental quality. After the most suitable metrics were selected, the weight of each metric in the final multimetric index was determined on the basis of the greater or lesser ability of each metric to define biological quality. The correlation between biological metrics and quality, and the ability of the selected metrics to define quality were determined on the basis of their performance at a number of control stations with different levels of disturbance. Finally, the quality thresholds for the proposed multimetric index were established such that the quality thresholds of the index matched the quality levels defined in the WFD. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fathead minnow response to broad-range exposure of β-sitosterol concentrations during life-cycle testing
Authors: Flinders Camille A. , Streblow William R. , Philbeck Raymond E. , Cook Diana L. , Campbell David E. , Brown-Peterson Nancy J. , Gross Timothy S.
Published: October 2013

The β-sitosterol concentration in pulp and paper mill effluents is typically greater than that of other phytosterols and has been shown to cause a variety of effects in fish. The authors exposed fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) to low (22 ± 0.93 µg/L), medium-low (70 ± 2.1 µg/L), medium-high (237 ± 5.5 µg/L), and high (745 ± 16.2 µg/L) concentrations of β-sitosterol as well as negative (water), positive (ethynyl estradiol, 16 ± 0.58 ng/L), and carrier (0.6 mL/L acetone) controls. Fish were monitored over a full life cycle for population-level endpoints including growth and survival, reproductive endpoints (e.g. fecundity, sex steroids and vitellogenin, gonado-/hepatosomatic indices, and gonad histology). No significant differences were seen in fish growth, mortality, or reproduction with β-sitosterol exposure, although a trend for lower egg production in β-sitosterol exposures relative to the water control may be related to the acetone carrier. All ethynyl estradiol–exposed fish were smaller, showed female characteristics, and did not spawn. Sex steroid and vitellogenin were highly variable with no detectable treatment-related differences. Gonadal tissue showed no β-sitosterol–related differences in reproductive development and spawning capability, although most ethynyl estradiol–exposed males had ovarian tissue and were not spawning-capable. The results indicate that β-sitosterol exposure had little apparent impact on fathead minnow survival, growth, and reproduction even at concentrations >10 times that of typical effluents, although small sample size and variability precluded fully evaluating treatment responses on sex steroids and vitellogenin. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:458–467. © 2013 SETAC
Worldwide estimation of river concentrations of any chemical originating from sewage-treatment plants using dilution factors
Authors: Keller Virginie D.J. , Williams Richard J. , Lofthouse Caryn , Johnson Andrew C.
Published: October 2013

Dilution factors are a critical component in estimating concentrations of so-called “down-the-drain” chemicals (e.g., pharmaceuticals) in rivers. The present study estimated the temporal and spatial variability of dilution factors around the world using geographically referenced data sets at 0.5° × 0.5° resolution. Domestic wastewater effluents were derived from national per capita domestic water use estimates and gridded population. Monthly and annual river flows were estimated by accumulating runoff estimates using topographically derived flow directions. National statistics, including the median and interquartile range, were generated to quantify dilution factors. Spatial variability of the dilution factor was found to be considerable; for example, there are 4 orders of magnitude in annual median dilution factor between Canada and Morocco. Temporal variability within a country can also be substantial; in India, there are up to 9 orders of magnitude between median monthly dilution factors. These national statistics provide a global picture of the temporal and spatial variability of dilution factors and, hence, of the potential exposure to down-the-drain chemicals. The present methodology has potential for a wide international community (including decision makers and pharmaceutical companies) to assess relative exposure to down-the-drain chemicals released by human pollution in rivers and, thus, target areas of potentially high risk. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:447–452. © 2013 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial, and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Common freshwater bacteria vary in their responses to short-term exposure to nano-TiO2
Authors: Binh Chu Thi Thanh , Tong Tiezheng , Gaillard Jean-François , Gray Kimberly A. , Kelly John J.
Published: October 2013

Nanostructured titania (nano-TiO2) is an engineered nanomaterial that can be cytotoxic primarily as a result of its ability to generate reactive oxygen species when illuminated. Production of nano-TiO2 has increased rapidly over the last decade, leading to concerns about its release into aquatic environments. To address the possible ecological impacts of nano-TiO2, the authors used high-throughput screening to assess the responses of 4 bacteria representative of genera common in freshwater to short-term exposure (1–2 h) in 2 natural aqueous media (stream water and lake water) to 2 widely used TiO2 products, pigment white 6 (PW6) and P25. Under simulated solar illumination PW6 and P25 reduced the abundance of viable Bacillus subtilis and Aeromonas hydrophila, confirming the cytotoxicity of nano-TiO2. In contrast, PW6 and P25 stimulated growth of Arthrobacter sp. and Klebsiella sp., which the authors hypothesize was driven by oxidation of organic matter in these natural waters into more labile compounds. This hypothesis is supported by data demonstrating PW6 photo-oxidation of organic matter in stream water, which subsequently supported enhanced bacterial growth. The results indicate that bacterial responses to nano-TiO2 can be species-specific, suggesting that nano-TiO2 may alter bacterial community composition and function. Finally, the results indicate that bacterial responses to nano-TiO2 are influenced by the water matrix, emphasizing the importance of assessing bacterial responses to nanomaterials in natural environmental media. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:317–327. © 2013 SETAC
The gross classification of hepatocellular carcinoma: Usefulness of contrast‐enhanced US
Authors: Hatanaka Kinuyo , Minami Yasunori , Kudo Masatoshi , Inoue Tatsuo , Chung Hobyung , Haji Seiji
Published: October 2013

Background

This study investigated the usefulness of postvascular images of contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography (CE‐US) in the gross classification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in comparison with contrast‐enhanced CT (CE‐CT) findings.

Methods

This is a prospective study with consecutive HCC patients who had both CE‐US and CE‐CT prior to surgical resection. Fifty‐one patients (32 men, 19 women; mean age, 68.9 years) with 61 HCCs were enrolled. The maximal diameters of all tumors ranged from 1.0 to 5.0 cm (mean ± SD, 2.5 cm ± 1.1). Weighted kappa statistics were used to assess the agreement of the sonographic or CT findings versus the results of macroscopic configurations.

Results

Thirty‐nine tumors were macroscopically diagnosed as simple nodule type; 19 tumors were macroscopically diagnosed as simple nodular type with extranodular growth, and 3 were macroscopically diagnosed as confluent multinodular type from the resected specimen. The diagnostic accuracy was 86.9% (53/61) for CE‐US and 65.6% (40/61) for CE‐CT. The differences in accuracy between CE‐US and CE‐CT were statistically significant (McNemar; p = 0.007). Agreement analysis between gross classification using CE‐US and final macroscopic results gave a kappa value of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.65–0.82), which was considered a good agreement. On the other hand, kappa coefficient value was 0.38 (95% CI: 0.28–0.48) between gross classification using CE‐CT and final macroscopic results.

Conclusions

CE‐US is a more reliable tool than CE‐CT to evaluate the gross type of HCC than CE‐CT. Accurate gross classification using imaging is considered to be essential for the determination of the correct treatment strategy and the estimates of the patients' prognosis. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 42:1–8, 2014
Thermogravimetric and Dielectric Study of ER/BaTiO3/ZnO Composites
Authors: Kanapitsas Athanasios , Tsonos Christos , Delides Constantinos G. , Psarras Georgios C.
Published: October 2013

Hybrid composites consisted of an epoxy resin and BaTiO3 as well as ZnO particles were prepared and studied. Polymer composites with ferro‐ and/or piezo‐electric particles are expected to exhibit functional behaviour due to the varying polarization of the fillers. The BaTiO3 content was kept constant in all studied composites, while ZnO content varied from 0 to 50 particles per hundred resin per weight. Thermal properties of the systems were examined by means of Thermogravimetric/Differential Thermal Analysis technique. Decomposition temperature for all systems was found to lie in the range 385–395 °C, while residual weight for hybrids was significantly higher compared to epoxy resin. Dielectric response of the tested systems was determined via Dielectric Relaxation Spectroscopy.
Incorporation of Non‐Steroidal Anti‐Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in Poly(propylene) Matrices for Wound Healing Applications. The case of Ibuprofen
Authors: Nochos Argyrios N. , Kontoyannis Christos , Voyiatzis George G.
Published: October 2013

Current work explores the possibility of incorporating common commercial non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) into poly(propylene) in order to develop biocompatible and bioactive surgical implants/sutures with controlled release characteristics. More particularly, we attempted to incorporate Ibuprofen, a widely utilized NSAID, into isotactic poly(propylene) (i‐PP) films. Two basic methods of mixing were used and evaluated for their effectiveness; melt‐mixing/melt‐pressing and solvent casting. The produced films morphology as well as the nature of the incorporated drug was examined by Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM/EDX). The drug release rates were measured by UV‐Vis absorbance spectroscopy.
Fault detection filter design for stochastic networked control systems
Authors: Long Yue , Yang Guang‐Hong
Published: October 2013

This paper is concerned with the fault detection filter (FDF) design for networked control systems subject to time‐varying transmission intervals and delays, packet dropouts, and communication constraints. The considered communication constraint is that only one network node is allowed to gain access to the shared communication channel. Also, the accessing of each node is scheduled by a specified stochastic protocol, and the remote FDFs perform the FD task only with these partially available measurements. By focus on the network‐induced phenomena, the whole FD system are first modeled in the framework of switched stochastic systems with multiple stochastic parameters. Subsequently, by using the multi‐Lyapunov functional approach and novel analysis approach, less conservative conditions including some previous existing results are derived to construct such FDFs. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Managing Brands in the Social Media Environment
Authors: Gensler Sonja , Völckner Franziska , Liu-Thompkins Yuping , Wiertz Caroline
Published: October 2013

The dynamic, ubiquitous, and often real-time interaction enabled by social media significantly changes the landscape for brand management. A deep understanding of this change is critical since it may affect a brand's performance substantially. Literature about social media's impact on brands is evolving, but lacks a systematic identification of key challenges related to managing brands in this new environment. This paper reviews existing research and introduces a framework of social media's impact on brand management. It argues that consumers are becoming pivotal authors of brand stories due to new dynamic networks of consumers and brands formed through social media and the easy sharing of brand experiences in such networks. Firms need to pay attention to such consumer-generated brand stories to ensure a brand's success in the marketplace. The authors identify key research questions related to the phenomenon and the challenges in coordinating consumer- and firm-generated brand stories.
Social Media Metrics — A Framework and Guidelines for Managing Social Media
Authors: Peters Kay , Chen Yubo , Kaplan Andreas M. , Ognibeni Björn , Pauwels Koen
Published: October 2013

Social media are becoming ubiquitous and need to be managed like all other forms of media that organizations employ to meet their goals. However, social media are fundamentally different from any traditional or other online media because of their social network structure and egalitarian nature. These differences require a distinct measurement approach as a prerequisite for proper analysis and subsequent management. To develop the right social media metrics and subsequently construct appropriate dashboards, we provide a tool kit consisting of three novel components. First, we theoretically derive and propose a holistic framework that covers the major elements of social media, drawing on theories from marketing, psychology, and sociology. We continue to support and detail these elements — namely ‘motives,’ ‘content,’ ‘network structure,’ and ‘social roles & interactions’ — with recent research studies. Second, based on our theoretical framework, the literature review, and practical experience, we suggest nine guidelines that may prove valuable for designing appropriate social media metrics and constructing a sensible social media dashboard. Third, based on the framework and the guidelines we derive managerial implications and suggest an agenda for future research.
Managing Customer Relationships in the Social Media Era: Introducing the Social CRM House
Authors: Malthouse Edward C. , Haenlein Michael , Skiera Bernd , Wege Egbert , Zhang Michael
Published: October 2013

CRM has traditionally referred to a company managing relationships with customers. The rise of social media, which has connected and empowered customers, challenges this fundamental raison d'etre. This paper examines how CRM needs to adapt to the rise of social media. The convergence of social media and CRM creates pitfalls and opportunities, which are explored. We organize this discussion around the new “social CRM house,” and discuss how social media engagement affects the house's core areas (i.e., acquisition, retention, and termination) and supporting business areas (i.e., people, IT, performance evaluation, metrics and overall marketing strategy). Pitfalls discussed include the organization's lack of control over message diffusion, big and unstructured data sets, privacy, data security, the shortage of qualified manpower, measuring the ROI of social media marketing initiatives, strategies for managing employees, integrating customer touch points, and content marketing.
Constructing courts after communism: Reevaluating the effect of electoral uncertainty
Authors: Moraski Bryon J.
Published: October 2013

A prominent view in political science is that electoral uncertainty leads institutional designers to prefer independent and powerful courts. Yet few scholars have examined the design of constitutional courts systematically across Eastern Europe and those who have employed the results of elections held after constitutions were adopted to estimate the actors’ perceptions of the balance of power prior to the court’s design. This work reevaluates the effects of electoral uncertainty in post-communist Europe using more appropriate data and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to outline the different causal configurations linking electoral uncertainty to the initial judicial empowerment.
New evidence of warm early-Holocene summers in subarctic Finland based on an enhanced regional chironomid-based temperature calibration model
Authors: Luoto Tomi P. , Kaukolehto Marjut , Weckström Jan , Korhola Atte , Väliranta Minna
Published: October 2013

Paleoclimate reconstructions based on biological proxies present methodological challenges, especially during non-analog conditions, such as the early Holocene. Here, two chironomid-based training sets from Finland were amalgamated to create a more accurate transfer function of summer air temperature. The aim was to reconstruct Holocene paleoclimate in northernmost Lapland, in an area that has been either too warm or too cold for reliable reconstructions using the original calibration models. The results showed that the combined calibration model had improved performance statistics. The temperature trends inferred from the downcore chironomid record using the original and combined models were very similar. However, there were major changes in their absolute values with the combined model showing greatly improved accuracy. The chironomid-based temperature reconstruction showed significant correlation with the previous pollen-based reconstructions from northwestern Finnish Lapland. However, differences were observed in the temperature trends of the early Holocene, when the chironomid-inferred temperatures rapidly increased, but the pollen-based reconstructions lagged behind suggesting that a cool climate continued for much longer. However, similar to the chironomid record, new plant macrofossil evidence from northwestern Finland also showed warmer-than-present early Holocene temperatures. Therefore, we conclude that the early Holocene was probably warm in northern Lapland.
'Taking the Waters'
Authors: Griggs Peter
Published: October 2013

In late 1907, Charles Fraser, the Victorian government entomologist, travelled to North Queensland. His observations of the flora and fauna in this part of Australia were later published in the Victorian Naturalist. However, this journey was not motivated entirely by his desire to study natural history. As a sufferer of ‘rhematic [sic] troubles’, he spent a few days soaking in the mineral-impregnated waters at Innot Hot Springs, a small inland village approximately 150 kilometres south-east of Cairns. First established in the late 1880s, the tiny settlement is still visited during the winter months by many ‘grey nomads’ en route to Karumba, where the fishing is promoted as being excellent. They break their journey at Innot Hot Springs to soak in the indoor or outdoor swimming pools filled with mineralised water of varying temperatures sourced from the nearby Nettle Creek. Some view it simply as a place to relax after the long journey from southern Australia, having perhaps already tried the artesian bore water baths at Moree and Mitchell en route. Others may consider the mineral waters to have healing qualities; like Charles Fraser, they are literally ‘taking the waters’.
'The Central Queensland project' (Powerhouse Brisbane, from 22 July to 18 August 2013)
Authors: Cooper Victoria , Spowart Doug
Published: October 2013

The Central Queensland project (Powerhouse Brisbane, from 22 July to 18 August 2013)
THE END OF LIBERALIZATION IN COMMUNIST ROMANIA
Authors: STANCIU CEZAR
Published: October 2013

In July 1971, one of the most non-conformist and Western-oriented leaders in the Soviet bloc, made what appeared to many as a radical turn of his domestic policy: liberalization of arts, culture, and social life were drastically limited and the communist party engaged on a course which was strongly inspired by Stalinism. Since then, questions had been raised as to the reasons and the timing of the change. This article explores various hypotheses in light of newly available archival documents in order to assess the role of the external factors in precipitating or determining the change. Soviet pressures are considered as well as the Chinese source of inspiration, as the change had been initiated shortly after Nicolae Ceauşescu's visit to China, demonstrating that the change was the product of interfering factors. What appeared at the time to be a sudden and unexpected change had in fact been prepared years before, under various forms. Romania was at the time dealing with growing social expectations due to liberalization measures, just as most other East European societies, but Ceauşescu chose to react differently, in the Chinese-style of mass mobilization, aiming to consolidate his party's grip on society and avert risks of Soviet intervention.
THE VATICAN AND THE RESHAPING OF THE EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL ORDER AFTER THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Authors: CHAMEDES GIULIANA
Published: October 2013

The Vatican is often cast as a marginal player in the reshaping of the European international order after the First World War. Drawing on new archival material, this article argues for a reassessment of the content and consequences of papal diplomacy. It focuses on the years between 1917 and 1929, during which time the Vatican used the tools of international law and state-to-state diplomacy to expand its power in both eastern and western Europe. The Vatican's interwar activism sought to disseminate a new Catholic vision of international affairs, which militated against the separation of church and state, and in many contexts helped undermine the principles of the League of Nations’ minority rights regime. Thanks in no small part to the assiduity of individual papal diplomats – who disseminated the new Catholic vision of international affairs by supporting anti-communist political factions – the Vatican was able to claim a more prominent role in European political affairs and lay the legal and discursive foundations for an alternate conception of the European international order, conceived in starkly anti-secular terms.
Estimating the abundance of Nepal's largest population of tigers Panthera tigris
Authors: Karki Jhamak B. , Pandav B. , Jnawali S. R. , Shrestha R. , Pradhan N. M. B. , Lamichane B. R. , Khanal P. , Subedi N. , Jhala Y. V.
Published: October 2013

Information on the abundance of tigers Panthera tigris is essential for effective conservation of the species. The main aim of this study was to determine the status of tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, including the Churia hills, using a camera-trap based mark–recapture abundance estimate. Camera traps (n = 310) were placed in an area of 1,261 km2 from 20 January to 22 March 2010. The study area was divided into three blocks and each block was trapped for 19–21 days, with a total effort of 3,582 man-days, 170 elephant-days and 4,793 camera-trap nights. The effectively camera-trapped area was 2,596 km2. Camera stations were located 1.5–2 km apart. Sixty-two tigers (age ⩾ 1.5 years), comprising 15 males, 41 females and six of unidentified sex, were identified from 344 photographs. The heterogeneity model Mh (jackknife) was the best fit for the capture history data. A capture probability ($\hat P$) of 0.05 was obtained, generating a population estimate ($\hat N$) of 125 ± SE 21.8 tigers. The density of tigers in the area, including Churia and Barandabhar (buffer zone forest linked with mid hill forest), was estimated to be 4.5 ± SE 0.35 tigers per 100 km2, using a Bayesian spatially explicit capture–recapture model in SPACECAP. Our study showed the use of Churia by tigers and we therefore conclude that the Chitwan tiger population serves as a source to maintain tiger occupancy of the larger landscape that comprises Chitwan National Park, Parsa Wildlife Reserve, Barandabhar buffer zone, Someswor forest in Nepal and Valmiki Tiger Reserve in India.
Phylogenetic relationship ofHepatozoonblood parasites found in snakes from Africa, America and Asia
Authors: HAKLOVÁ B. , MAJLÁTHOVÁ V. , MAJLÁTH I. , HARRIS D. J. , PETRILLA V. , LITSCHKA-KOEN T. , OROS M. , PEŤKO B.
Published: October 2013

The blood parasites from the genusHepatozoonMiller, 1908 (Apicomplexa: Adeleida: Hepatozoidae) represent the most common intracellular protozoan parasites found in snakes. In the present study, we examined 209 individuals of snakes, from different zoogeographical regions (Africa, America, Asia and Europe), for the occurrence of blood parasites using both molecular and microscopic examination methods, and assess phylogenetic relationships of allHepatozoonparasites from snakes for the first time. In total, 178 blood smears obtained from 209 individuals, representing 40 species, were examined, from whichHepatozoonunicellular parasites were found in 26 samples (14·6% prevalence). Out of 180 samples tested by molecular method polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the presence of parasites was observed in 21 individuals (prevalence 11·6%): 14 snakes from Africa belonging to six genera (Dendroaspis, Dispholidus, Mehelya, Naja, PhilothamnusandPython), five snakes from Asia from the genusMoreliaand two snakes from America, from two genera (ColuberandCorallus). The intensity of infection varied from one to 1433 infected cells per 10 000 erythrocytes. Results of phylogenetic analyses (Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood) revealed the existence of five haplotypes divided into four main lineages. The present data also indicate neither geographical pattern of studiedHepatozoonsp., nor congruency in the host association.
Introduction: “Right as diverse pathes leden”
Authors: Harman Oren
Published: October 2013

“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history,” Mahatma Ghandi is often quoted as saying, and, one might add cheekily, but with unquestionable truth, so too a small group of determined historians. Burke may have counseled that “those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” but the Irishman clearly gave memory greater credit than it deserves. Not only do we use the past by many means and to many ends, but these means and ends necessarily color our view of the past, shape it, oftentimes constructing it forthright. And what is true for the layman may in fact be argued to be doubly true for the professional historian, his or her many years of considered disciplining notwithstanding. Being taught to be aware of our biases doesn't always help us overcome them, nor do we necessarily write about the past because we simply want to tell it “like it was.” Memory is fallible, and historical records incomplete – yes – but over and above these limitations, we often seek to recall the past and breathe new life into it for very particular reasons. Churchill knew this all too well. “History will be kind to me,” he wrote, “for I intend to write it.”
Why I Am a Presentist
Authors: Oreskes Naomi
Published: October 2013

Both geologists and historians study the past, but they have divergent views of the present. Geologists are unambiguously presentist. They believe that the observable present is a crucial resource in understanding the past, because in the observable present we can see and study the processes that have occurred in the unobservable past. For geologists, it is largely uncontroversial that the past not only can but should be interpreted with reference to the present.
Association of climate variability and childhood diarrhoeal disease in rural Bangladesh, 2000–2006
Authors: WU J. , YUNUS M. , STREATFIELD P. K. , EMCH M.
Published: October 2013

This study examined the effects of meteorological factors, particularly, extreme weather events, on the prevalence of childhood diarrhoeal disease in Matlab, Bangladesh. Logistic regression models were used to examine impacts of temperature, rainfall and the extreme weather factors (the number of hot days and days with heavy rainfall) on childhood diarrhoea from 2000 to 2006 at the bari (cluster of dwellings) level. The results showed that the increases in the number of hot days and days with heavy rainfall were associated with an increase in daily diarrhoea cases by 0·8–3·8% and 1–6·2%, respectively. The results from multivariable stepwise models showed that the extreme weather factors were still positively associated with childhood diarrhoea, while the associations for average temperature and rainfall could be negative after other variables were controlled. The findings showed that not only the intensity, but also the frequency of extreme weather events had significant effects on childhood diarrhoea.
No Exaggeration: Truthfulness in the Lobbying of Government Agencies by Competing Interest Groups
Authors: KANG HYOUNG-GOO , HOLYOKE THOMAS T.
Published: October 2013

Intense competition can compel lobbyists to exaggerate the benefits the government would see in tax returns and social welfare if agency officials allocate such resources to the lobbyist's members. This incentive to misrepresent grows when information asymmetry exists between lobbyists and government officials. A large body of literature has investigated how interest groups compete and interact, but it disregards the interdependency of interests between competing groups and associated strategic behaviors of other players. Our signaling model of lobbying reveals ways in which agency officials can compel lobbyists for competing interests to lobby truthfully and what the policy implications of this compulsion can be. We also present case-study evidence of how this works in practice.
Whither Taiwanization? The Colonization, Democratization and Taiwanization of Taiwan
Authors: JACOBS J. BRUCE
Published: October 2013

Other than during the Civil War of 1945–1949, Taiwan has never been part of a Chinese state ruled by Han Chinese in Mainland China. With the arrival of the Dutch in 1624, Taiwan underwent a succession of six foreign colonial rulers: the Dutch (1624–1662), the Spanish (in northern Taiwan, 1626–1642), the Cheng family (1662–1683), the Manchus (1683–1895), the Japanese (1895–1945), and the Chinese Nationalists (1945–1988). Only with democratization, beginning in 1988, have the people of Taiwan been able to rule themselves. With democratization, the people of Taiwan have increasingly identified as Taiwanese, an identification that is explicitly not Chinese. China's racial appeals to Taiwan are scientifically inaccurate and have no place in the modern world. In order to gain international support, Taiwan's leaders and people need to avoid the Chinese framework of ‘independence’ versus ‘unification’. Rather, they should emphasize Taiwan's decolonialization, a process that Taiwan shares with much of the world.
Soll das Essen Dir gedeih'n, musst Du heiter dabei sein – Gedeihstörung beim Kind
Authors: Furlano Raoul I. , Sidler Marc A. , Köhler Henrik
Published: October 2013

Eine Gedeihstörung ist ein Zustand der Unterernährung beim Kind, hervorgerufen durch eine quantitativ oder qualitativ ungenügende Nährstoffzufuhr. Diese kann durch eine gestörte Kalorienabsorption oder einem exzessiven Kalorienverbrauch, aber auch durch eine unausgewogene Zusammensetzung der Ernährung hervorgerufen werden. Folge sind Untergewicht und Wachstumsretardierung, aber auch eine mögliche Schwächung des Immunsystems und Beeinträchtigung der psychomotorischen und kognitiven Entwicklung des wachsenden Kindes. Ziel dieses Artikels ist es, dem praktizierenden Arzt die aktuellen Kenntnisse der Definition, Prävalenz, Ätiologie, aber vor allem eine stufengerechte Diagnostik und Therapie der Gedeihstörung beim Kind nahe zu bringen.
Bandbreite „Adoleszentenmedizin“
Authors: Caflisch Marianne
Published: October 2013

Adoleszentenmedizin ist eine Fachrichtung der Medizin „am Rande“ und zugleich „inmitten“ einer Vielzahl medizinischer Spezialgebiete: Entwicklungspädiatrie, Psychiatrie, Gynäkologie, Sozial- und Präventivmedizin, allgemeine Pädiatrie und Innere Medizin (mit deren respektiven Subspezialitäten). Ihre Spezifizität liegt in der Beurteilung klinischer Situationen in Bezug auf die bio-psycho-sozialen Entwicklungsaufgaben der Adoleszenz. (Pubertät, Identitätsentwicklung, Veränderungen der Beziehungen zur Familie und der Gruppe Gleichaltriger). Ein spezielles Interesse gilt dem Experimentier- und Risikoverhalten. Allgemein verlangt die medizinische Betreuung Jugendlicher bei somatischen Beschwerdebildern stets auch die psychosozialen Ebenen zu erforschen und im Gegensatz dazu in komplexen psychosozialen Situationen die somatischen Aspekte nicht zu vergessen.
Klappenvitien: Präoperative Abklärung und postoperative Nachsorge
Authors: Nägele Reto , Kaufmann Beat A.
Published: October 2013

Patienten mit Herzklappenvitien oder nach Herzklappenersatz stellen eine in der Praxistätigkeit wachsende Patientengruppe dar. Die Betreuung und Abklärung von Patienten mit Herzklappenvitien vor Klappenoperationen, aber auch die postoperative Nachsorge ist komplex und erfolgt interdisziplinär durch Allgemeinpraktiker, Kardiologen und Herzchirurgen. In der vorliegenden Mini-Review befassen wir uns zunächst mit den präoperativen Abklärungen bei den zwei häufigsten Herzklappenvitien, der Aortenstenose und der Mitralinsuffizienz. Anschliessend besprechen wir die postoperative Nachsorge, die eine Kontrolle der oralen Antikoagulation sowie die Erfassung und korrekte Abklärung von Komplikationen wie Thromboembolie, Hämolyse, Endokarditis und Klappendysfunktion umfasst.
Evolution of Intracerebral Hemorrhage after Intravenous Tpa: Reversal of Harmful Effects with Mast Cell Stabilization
Authors: Marinkovic Ivan , Mattila Olli S , Strbian Daniel , Meretoja Atte , Shekhar Shashank , Saksi Jani , Abo-Ramadan Usama , Rantanen Ville , Lindsberg Perttu J , Tatlisumak Turgut
Published: October 2013

Thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) traditionally demands baseline imaging to rule out intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), which causes delays in treatment. Preventing possible adverse effects of tPA on ICH would allow rapid on-site thrombolysis in patients with presumed acute ischemic stroke, reducing onset-to-treatment times. We examined how intravenous tPA alters ICH evolution during an extended follow-up, and how mast cell stabilization affects this process. Intracerebral hemorrhage was induced in rats by collagenase injection. Rats received either saline ( n=10), tPA ( n=13), tPA+low-dose cromoglycate ( n=10), or tPA+high-dose cromoglycate ( n=10). Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at 24, 48, and 72 hours after ICH induction, together with neurologic evaluations. During 72 hours of follow-up, tPA administration did not significantly increase hematoma volume (mean±s.d. 83.5±14.3 versus 66.7±14.7  μL; P=0.256) or hemispheric expansion (14.5±5.0 versus 11.5±5.0%; P=0.457) compared with saline. However, tPA-treated animals had worse neurologic outcomes ( P<0.05), and mortality (8/13 versus 3/10). Combining tPA with high-dose cromoglycate mitigated hemispheric expansion (7.4±1.7 versus 14.5±5.0%; P=0.01), improved neurologic outcome ( P<0.001) and decreased mortality (1/10; P<0.05) compared with t PA alone. Our results suggest tPA increases neurologic deficit in ICH, an effect that was abolished by concomitant mast cell stabilization. Further studies are needed to establish the clinical relevance of these findings.
microRNA-122 down-regulation may play a role in severe myocardial fibrosis in human aortic stenosis through TGF-β1 up-regulation
Authors: Beaumont Javier , López Begoña , Hermida Nerea , Schroen Blanche , San José Gorka , Heymans Stephane , Valencia Félix , Gómez-Doblas Juan José , De Teresa Eduardo , Díez Javier , González Arantxa
Published: October 2013

miRNAs (microRNAs) have been shown to play a role in myocardial fibrosis. The present study was designed to analyse whether alterations in miRNA expression contribute to the progression of myocardial fibrosis in AS (aortic valve stenosis) patients through up-regulation of the pro-fibrotic factor TGF-β1 (transforming growth factor-β type 1). Endomyocardial biopsies were obtained from 28 patients with severe AS, and from the necropsies of 10 control subjects. AS patients presented increased myocardial CVF (collagen volume fraction) and TGF-β1 compared with the controls, these parameters being correlated in all patients. Patients were divided into two groups by cluster analysis according to their CVF: SF (severe fibrosis; CVF >15%; n=15) and non-SF (CVF ≤15%; n=13). TGF-β1 was increased in patients with SF compared with those with non-SF. To analyse the involvement of miRNAs in SF, the miRNA expression profile of 10 patients (four with non-SF and six with SF) was analysed showing that 99 miRNAs were down-regulated and 19 up-regulated in the SF patients compared with the non-SF patients. Those miRNAs potentially targeting TGF-β1 were validated by real-time RT (reverse transcription)–PCR in the whole test population, corroborating that miR-122 and miR-18b were down-regulated in patients with SF compared with those with non-SF and the control subjects. Additionally, miR-122 was inversely correlated with the CVF, TGF-β1 and the TGF-β1-regulated PCPE-1 (procollagen C-terminal proteinase enhancer-1) in all patients. Experiments in human fibroblasts demonstrated that miR-122 targets and inhibits TGF-β1. In conclusion, for the first time we show that myocardial down-regulation of miR-122 might be involved in myocardial fibrosis in AS patients, probably through TGF-β1 up-regulation.
Micromachined catalytic combustion type gas sensor for hydrogen detection
Authors: Liu Xifeng , Dong Hanpeng , Xia Shanhong
Published: October 2013

A catalytic combustion hydrogen sensor has been fabricated using the microelectromechanical system technology. The application of hafnium oxide thin films as the insulating layer has been deposited by electron beam evaporation. The semiconductor combustion catalyst tin oxide layer was prepared by chemical vapour deposition. It is a novel application of semiconductor material to a catalytic combustion gas sensor. The resistivity of hafnium dioxide thin film is about 3 × 1012 Ω cm at 900°C. Both the sensing elements and the reference elements could be connected in a suitable circuit such as a Wheatstone configuration with low power consumption. The catalytic combustion sensor shows high response to hydrogen at an operating voltage of 4 V and has a higher relative sensitivity and a good linearity for concentrations of hydrogen ranging from 0 to 4% in volume. Good consistency and high accuracy of the micromachined catalytic combustion gas sensor were achieved.
Manipulation of DNA origami nanotubes in liquid using programmable tapping‐mode atomic force microscopy
Authors: Li Longhai , Tian Xiaojun , Dong Zaili , Liu Lianqing , Tabata Osamu , Li Wen J.
Published: October 2013

The nanoscale manipulation of 1D soft and flexible ‘DNA origami nanotubes’ (DONs) that are 6 nm in diameter and 400 nm in length, and placed on a mica substrate in a TE/Mg2+ buffer solution, was executed by an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip using a programmable tapping‐mode manipulation strategy. The AFM's tip tapping amplitude was controlled to be less than or equal to 10 nm while vibrating in a solution with Mg2+ concentration of 10–20 mM. A series of single‐point and one‐step manipulation experiments revealed that manipulation can be achieved with an 80% successful rate under the condition that the AFM tip vibration amplitude is 3–4 nm and the Mg2+ concentration is 10 mM. Utilising this optimised condition, multipoint and multistep manipulation based on the programmable tapping‐mode AFM process was conducted and nanomanipulation of DONs was successfully demonstrated.
Coherently strained epitaxial Pb(Zr1−xTix)O3 thin films
Authors: Johnson-Wilke Raegan L. , Tinberg Daniel S. , Yeager C. , Qu Weiguo , Fong Dillon D. , Fister Timothy T. , Streiffer Stephen K. , Han Yisong , Reaney Ian M. , Trolier-McKinstry Susan
Published: October 2013

Coherently strained Pb(Zr1−xTix)O3, 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.35, thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on (001) and (111) oriented SrTiO3 substrates. A buffer layer of Pb(Zr0.6Ti0.4)O3 was used to improve the lattice matching and induce compressive strain in Zr-rich compositions. The (001)pc (pc = pseudocubic) films showed an increased ferroelectric transition temperature, TC, compared to bulk ceramics, but the transition from an untilted to a tilted ferroelectric (TTilt) exhibited only a modest increase in temperature. This suggests that it may be possible to enlarge the untilted ferroelectric phase field by compressive strain. Consistent with previous work on relaxed PZT films, coherently strained PZT films do not exhibit an abrupt transition from an untilted to a tilted state; rather, a region of non-zero tilt exists above TTilt. (111)pc films also showed an increased ferroelectric transition temperature with a weak strain dependence on TTilt. The compressive strain in (111)pc films induced a preferred domain structure with only 180° domain walls, in contrast to bulk materials and relaxed films which are polydomain.
A variational multi-symplectic particle-in-cell algorithm with smoothing functions for the Vlasov-Maxwell system
Authors: Xiao Jianyuan , Liu Jian , Qin Hong , Yu Zhi
Published: October 2013

Smoothing functions are commonly used to reduce numerical noise arising from coarse sampling of particles in particle-in-cell (PIC) plasma simulations. When applying smoothing functions to symplectic algorithms, the conservation of symplectic structure should be guaranteed to preserve good conservation properties. In this paper, we show how to construct a variational multi-symplectic PIC algorithm with smoothing functions for the Vlasov-Maxwell system. The conservation of the multi-symplectic structure and the reduction of numerical noise make this algorithm specifically suitable for simulating long-term dynamics of plasmas, such as those in the steady-state operation or long-pulse discharge of a super-conducting tokamak. The algorithm has been implemented in a 6D large scale PIC code. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the good conservation properties of the multi-symplectic algorithm and the reduction of the noise due to the application of smoothing function.