bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the child abuse potential inventory abuse scale
Authors: Kawamura Yoshiya , Takahashi Yukie , Akiyama Tsuyoshi , Sasaki Tsukasa , Kako Masako
Published: November 2009

Introduction: The present study examined the reliability, validity, and cutoff scores of the Japanese version of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI) abuse scale, which screens for parents at risk of child abuse.

Methods: Samples consisted of 1,809 parents, 109 students, and 33 child abusers in Japan. The CAPI was administered to all participants, and twice to the student sample at a 2‐week interval. Internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's α, and construct validity by principal factor analysis with the parent sample. Test‐retest reliability was assessed with Pearson's r with the student sample. With regard to predictive validity, the cutoff scores and classification rates were calculated through discriminant analysis between abusers and matched non‐abusers.

Results: Internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.88), test‐retest reliability (Pearson's r=0.93; two‐tailed P<0.001), and predictive validity (overall diagnostic power=90%) were all highly satisfactory. Regarding construct validity, the six‐factor structure of the original version was not replicated; only three factors were obtained. The discriminant analysis showed the basic cutoff score as 159. The conservative cutoff score for the upper 5% of the parent sample was 218.

Discussion: The Japanese version of the CAPI abuse scale showed highly satisfactory internal consistency, test‐retest reliability, and predictive validity. The construct correspondence with the original version was more compromised. This version of the CAPI identified parents with scores of 159 or greater as being at risk of abusing a child.
Prevalence of depression and anxiety in hospitalized chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and their quality of life: a pilot study
Authors: Chan Herng Nieng , Yap Hwa Ling , Kanagasuntheram Narendran , Chan Yiong Huak
Published: November 2009

Introduction: There is a high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It has been reported that if left untreated, the psychiatric comobidities can lead to poorer quality of life. The present study was initiated to investigate the prevalence of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder in hospitalized COPD patients and their quality of life.

Methods: The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME‐MD) was administered to screen an opportunistic sample of COPD patients admitted to a general hospital for the abovementioned psychiatric disorders. The Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36) was utilized to assess quality of life.

Results: Fifty‐one patients were analyzed. The prevalence of major depressive disorder in this sample on screening was 7.8% (95% CI 2.2–18.9) and that of anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder) was 5.9% (95% CI 1.2–16.2). The quality of life of COPD patients with psychiatric comorbidities in the present study was severely impaired in seven of the eight domains measured by the SF‐36.

Discussion: Despite the small sample size of COPD patients, the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities was not insignificant. The present study showed that the quality of life of hospitalized COPD patients with psychiatric illnesses was significantly lowered. Treatment of COPD should include addressing psychosocial issues.
Prevalence ofStaphylococcus aureusand Methicillin‐ResistantStaphylococcus aureusCarriage in Three Populations
Authors: Kottler S. , Middleton J.R. , Perry J. , Weese J.S. , Cohn L.A.
Published: November 2009

Background:A higher prevalence of methicillin‐resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) colonization is reported in healthcare workers compared with nonhealthcare workers.

Hypothesis:The prevalence of MRSA colonization differed in people and pets in households with healthcare workers as compared with households without healthcare workers.

Subjects:A person and 1 dog or cat from 586 households defined as either a nonhealthcare (n = 213), veterinary healthcare (n = 211), or human healthcare (n = 162) worker household.

Methods:Prospective cross‐sectional study. Samples from humans and pets were cultured in vitro.Staphylococcus aureuswas identified as methicillin sensitive (MSSA) or MRSA withmecA polymerase chain reaction. Pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis andspa‐typing were used to characterize relatedness ofS. aureusand MRSA and assign USA types.

Results:The prevalence of MSSA and MRSA in humans was 21.5% (126/586) and 5.63% (33/586), respectively, and 7.85% (46/586) and 3.41% (20/586), respectively, in pets. There were no differences in prevalences of either MSSA or MRSA between household types. The proportion of MRSA among allS. aureusisolates in humans and pets was 20.8% (33/159) and 30.3% (20/66), respectively. In <1.0% (4/586) of households, the same strain of MRSA was found in both a person and a pet.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance:There were no differences in the prevalences of MSSA or MRSA between healthcare worker and nonhealthcare worker households. Pets and people colonized withS. aureuswere as likely to be colonized with MRSA. Colonization of a person and their pet with the same strain of MRSA was rare.
Evaluation of a Novel Real‐Time Continuous Glucose‐Monitoring System for Use in Cats
Authors: Moretti S. , Tschuor F. , Osto M. , Franchini M. , Wichert B. , Ackermann M. , Lutz T.A. , Reusch C.E. , Zini E.
Published: November 2009

Background: The Guardian REAL‐Time is a continuous glucose‐monitoring system (CGMS) recently developed to provide instantaneous interstitial glucose concentrations; the system does not require a monitor being fixed to the animal.

Hypothesis: The CGMS provides accurate and reproducible real‐time readings of glucose concentration in cats.

Animals: Thirty‐two diabetic cats, 2 cats with suspected insulinoma, and 5 healthy cats.

Methods: Prospective, observational study. CGMS accuracy was compared with a reference glucose meter at normal, high, and low blood glucose concentrations using error grid analysis. Reading variability of 2 simultaneously used CGMS was determined in diabetic cats by calculating correlation and percentage of concordance of paired data at different glycemic ranges. The time interval between increasing glycemia and a rise in interstitial fluid glucose measured by the CGMS was assessed in healthy cats receiving glucose IV; the time point of maximal increase in interstitial glucose concentrations was calculated.

Results: The CGMS was 100, 96.1, and 91.0% accurate at normal, high, and low blood glucose concentrations. Measurements deviated from reference by −12.7 ± 70.5 mg/dL at normal, −12.1 ± 141.5 mg/dL at high, and −1.9 ± 40.9 mg/dL at low glucose concentrations. Overall, paired CGMS readings correlated significantly (r= 0.95, P < .0001) and concordance was 95.7%. The median delay after IV administration of glucose to an increase in interstitial glucose was 11.4 minutes (range: 8.8–19.7 minutes).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Although some readings substantially deviated from reference values, the CGMS yields reproducible results, is clinically accurate in cats with hyperglycemia and euglycemia, and is slightly less accurate if blood glucose concentrations are low. Rapidly increasing interstitial glucose after a glycemic rise suggests that the CGMS is suitable for real‐time measurement under clinical conditions.
Comparison of Histopathologic Findings in Biopsies from the Duodenum and Ileum of Dogs with Enteropathy
Authors: Casamian‐Sorrosal D. , Willard M.D. , Murray J.K. , Hall E.J. , Taylor S.S. , Day M.J.
Published: November 2009

Background: In the investigations of dogs with chronic small intestinal diarrhea collection of ileal biopsies lengthens procedural time and has been of uncertain value.

Objectives: To evaluate whether there was agreement between histologic changes present in samples of duodenal and ileal mucosa, and hence to provide initial information in the process of determining whether collection of ileal biopsies is clinically justified.

Animals: 40 dogs with chronic small and large intestinal diarrhea from which endoscopic (in 30 cases) or surgical (in 10 cases) duodenal and ileal biopsies had been collected.

Methods: Samples were reviewed concurrently by two observers (MJD and MDW) using the scoring system developed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Gastrointestinal Standardization Group. Comparisons were made by kappa analysis.

Results: Microscopic pathology was observed in 30 cases. Only eight out of this 30 (27%) had the same histopathologic diagnosis in both the duodenum and the ileum. This dropped to 3 out of 30 (10%) if different disease severity was also considered as disagreement. Microscopic pathology would have been found in 60% and 80% of the 30 cases, if only duodenal or ileal biopsies respectively, had been available.

Conclusions and clinical importance: There was poor agreement between histopathological findings from duodenal versus ileal biopsies with abnormalities sometimes being more readily detected in the ileum. Routine collection of ileal plus duodenal samples appears warranted when concurrent small and large intestinal diarrhea is present.
Clinical Features and Outcome ofHeterobilharzia americanaInfection in Dogs
Authors: Fabrick C. , Bugbee A. , Fosgate G.
Published: November 2009

Background:Heterobilharzia americana(HA), the causative agent of canine schistosomiasis, is a flatworm with a freshwater snail as an intermediate host. Only case reports or small case series evaluating naturally infected dogs have been published.

Objective:Describe clinical signs in dogs naturally infected with HA.

Animals:Twenty‐two dogs naturally infected with HA from 1985 to 2009.

Methods:Retrospective study. All medical records were searched for HA and schistosomiasis. Only dogs with a diagnosis based on identification of ova on histopathology or fecal saline sedimentation were included.

Results:The median age was 3.1 years (1–12). The median duration of clinical signs before diagnosis was 0.63 months (0.03–12). The most common clinical signs were lethargy (91%), weight loss (77%), hyporexia (68%), vomiting (59%), and diarrhea (55%). Eleven of the 22 dogs were hypercalcemic. Hypercalcemia did not resolve without definitive treatment with praziquantel. HA infection was an incidental diagnosis in 7/22 dogs. Diagnosis was obtained via necropsy (4), histopathology (9), and fecal examination (9). Definitive treatment included praziquantel and fenbendazole. Eighteen dogs were diagnosed antemortem and 17 were treated. Twelve dogs were alive for 6 months to 3 years after diagnosis.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance:HA infection occurs in younger, larger breed, indoor dogs. Hypercalcemia does not resolve without praziquantel treatment. Prognosis is good and neither hypercalcemic‐induced renal failure nor ascites appears to worsen prognosis. Dogs in affected areas or that have traveled to affected areas that present for weight loss, gastrointestinal or liver disease, and hypercalcemia, should be tested.
Serum Cardiac Troponin I Concentration in Dogs with Precapillary and Postcapillary Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Guglielmini C. , Civitella C. , Diana A. , Di Tommaso M. , Cipone M. , Luciani A.
Published: November 2009

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a disease condition leading to right‐sided cardiac hypertrophy and, eventually, right‐sided heart failure. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a circulating biomarker of cardiac damage.

Hypothesis: Myocardial damage can occur in dogs with precapillary and postcapillary PH.

Animals: One hundred and thirty‐three dogs were examined: 26 healthy controls, 42 dogs with mitral valve disease (MVD) without PH, 48 dogs with pulmonary hypertension associated with mitral valve disease (PH‐MVD), and 17 dogs with precapillary PH.

Methods: Prospective, observational study. Serum cTnI concentration was measured with a commercially available immunoassay and results were compared between groups.

Results: Median cTnI was 0.10 ng/mL (range 0.10–0.17 ng/mL) in healthy dogs. Compared with the healthy population, median serum cTnI concentration was increased in dogs with precapillary PH (0.25 ng/mL; range 0.10–1.9 ng/mL; P < .001) and in dogs with PH‐MVD (0.21 ng/mL; range 0.10–2.10 ng/mL; P < .001). Median serum cTnI concentration of dogs with MVD (0.12 ng/mL; range 0.10–1.00 ng/mL) was not significantly different compared with control group and dogs with PH‐MVD. In dogs with MVD and PH‐MVD, only the subgroup with decompensated PH‐MVD had significantly higher cTnI concentration compared with dogs with compensated MVD and PH‐MVD. Serum cTnI concentration showed significant modest positive correlations with the calculated pulmonary artery systolic pressure in dogs with PH and some echocardiographic indices in dogs with MVD and PH‐MVD.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Serum cTnI is high in dogs with either precapillary and postcapillary PH. Myocardial damage in dogs with postcapillary PH is likely the consequence of increased severity of MVD.
Von Willebrand Factor Antigen Concentration in Dogs with Sepsis
Authors: Rogers C.L. , Rozanski E.A.
Published: November 2009

Background: Von Willebrand factor (vWF) antigen concentration, a marker of endothelial activation, is increased in human patients with multiorgan failure, sepsis, or both, and is an independent predictor of survival.

Hypothesis/Objectives: vWF antigen concentrations are significantly higher in dogs with sepsis.

Animals: Fourteen dogs hospitalized with sepsis. Sepsis was defined as microbiologic or cytologic evidence of infection combined with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Control dogs were healthy dogs, without evidence of disease.

Methods: Prospective, observational study. Dogs admitted to the intensive care unit with a diagnosis of sepsis were considered eligible for enrollment into the study. Exclusion criteria included a previous diagnosis of von Willebrand disease or a recent history of a plasma transfusion. Citrated plasma samples were collected for analysis of vWF antigen by ELISA. All samples were drawn from dogs during hospitalization. Data between populations were analyzed using nonparametric statistical analysis with a P value < .05 considered significant.

Results: Twenty‐five dogs were enrolled; 14 dogs with sepsis and 11 control dogs. The median vWF antigen concentration in dogs with sepsis was 156% (range, 117–200%), which was significantly higher than healthy dogs (105%; range, 44–155%, P < .005). There was no difference between survivors and nonsurvivors with a median vWF antigen concentration of 144% (range, 136–201%) in survivors (n = 7) and 159% (range, 122–174%) in nonsurvivors (n = 7) (P= .5).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance: vWF is increased in dogs with sepsis, possibly reflecting endothelial activation. Further exploration of endothelial function is warranted in critically ill dogs.
Babesiosis Caused by a Large Babesia Species in 7 Immunocompromised Dogs
Authors: Sikorski L.E. , Birkenheuer A.J. , Holowaychuk M.K. , McCleary‐Wheeler A.L. , Davis J.M. , Littman M.P.
Published: November 2009

Background: A large unnamed Babesia species was detected in a dog with lymphoma. It was unknown if this was an underrecognized pathogen.

Objective: Report the historical and clinicopathologic findings in 7 dogs with babesiosis caused by a large unnamed Babesia species characterize the 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) genes.

Animals: Seven immunocompromised dogs from which the Babesia was isolated.

Methods: Retrospective case review. Cases were identified by a diagnostic laboratory, the attending clinicians were contacted and the medical records were reviewed. The Babesia sp. 18S rRNA genes were amplified and sequenced.

Results: Six of 7 dogs had been splenectomized; the remaining dog was receiving oncolytic drugs. Lethargy, anorexia, fever, and pigmenturia were reported in 6/7, 6/7, 4/7, and 3/7 dogs. Laboratory findings included mild anemia (7/7) and severe thrombocytopenia (6/7). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays used to detect Babesia sensu stricto species were all positive, but specific PCR assays for Babesia canis and Babesia gibsoni were negative in all dogs. The 18S rRNA gene sequences were determined to be identical to a large unnamed Babesia sp. previously isolated. Cross‐reactive antibodies against other Babesia spp. were not always detectable. Five dogs were treated with imidocarb dipropionate and 1 dog with atovaquone/azithromycin; some favorable responses were noted. The remaining dog was untreated and remained a clinically stable carrier.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Dogs with pigmenturia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia should be tested for Babesia sp. by PCR. Serology is not sufficient for diagnosis of this Babesia sp. Asplenia, chemotherapy, or both might represent risk factors for persistent infection, illness, or both.
Direct Numerical Simulations of the Flow Past a Cylinder Moving With Sinusoidal and Nonsinusoidal Profiles
Authors: Marzouk Osama A.
Published: November 2009

We perform direct numerical simulations of the flow past a circular cylinder undergoing a one-degree-of-freedom transverse oscillation. The displacement follows a sine function raised to an arbitrary integer power ranging from 1 to 8. When the displacement power is above 2, we have multifrequency oscillation, and the number of Fourier components in the oscillation increases with the power, but they are either odd or even multiples of the input (argument) frequency of the displacement function. We study the responses of the nondimensional lift and drag under these different oscillation profiles and the transfer of nondimensional mechanical energy due to the oscillation, and their trends as the power (hence the number of Fourier components in the oscillation) increases. For odd powers, the energy is transferred to the cylinder; whereas for even powers, it is transferred to the flow. A unity power (harmonic oscillation) corresponds to the maximum energy transfer to the cylinder, which can explain the occurrence of this profile in the case when the cylinder is free to oscillate due to the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) phenomenon. The lift exhibits a mean value only with even powers above 2. The results show that the lift is driven to a large extent by the acceleration of the oscillation rather than its velocity. This should be considered when modeling the fluid-structure coupling in reduced-order VIV models.
Flow Physics of a Race Car Wing With Vortex Generators in Ground Effect
Authors: Kuya Yuichi , Takeda Kenji , Zhang Xin , Beeton Scott , Pandaleon Ted
Published: November 2009

This paper experimentally investigates the use of vortex generators for separation control on an inverted wing in ground effect using off-surface flow measurements and surface flow visualization. A typical racing car wing geometry is tested in a rolling road wind tunnel over a wide range of incidences and ride heights. Rectangular vane type of sub-boundary layer and large-scale vortex generators are attached to the suction surface, comprising counter-rotating and corotating configurations. The effects of both device height and spacing are examined. The counter-rotating sub-boundary layer vortex generators and counter-rotating large-scale vortex generators suppress the flow separation at the center of each device pair, while the counter-rotating large-scale vortex generators induce horseshoe vortices between each device where the flow is separated. The corotating sub-boundary layer vortex generators tested here show little evidence of separation control. Increasing the spacing of the counter-rotating sublayer vortex generator induces significant horseshoe vortices, comparable to those seen in the counter-rotating large-scale vortex generator case. Wake surveys show significant spanwise variance behind the wing equipped with the counter-rotating large-scale vortex generators, while the counter-rotating sub-boundary layer vortex generator configuration shows a relatively small variance in the spanwise direction. The flow characteristics revealed here suggest that counter-rotating sub-boundary layer vortex generators can provide effective separation control for race car wings in ground effect.
Pulsating Flow for Mixing Intensification in a Twisted Curved Pipe
Authors: Timité B. , Jarrahi M. , Castelain C. , Peerhossaini H.
Published: November 2009

This work concerns the manipulation of a twisted curved-pipe flow for mixing enhancement. Previous works have shown that geometrical perturbations to a curved-pipe flow can increase mixing and heat transfer by chaotic advection. In this work the flow entering the twisted pipe undergoes a pulsatile motion. The flow is studied experimentally and numerically. The numerical study is carried out by a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code (FLUENT 6) in which a pulsatile velocity field is imposed as an inlet condition. The experimental setup involves principally a “Scotch-yoke” pulsatile generator and a twisted curved pipe. Laser Doppler velocimetry measurements have shown that the Scotch-yoke generator produces pure sinusoidal instantaneous mean velocities with a mean deviation of 3%. Visualizations by laser-induced fluorescence and velocity measurements, coupled with the numerical results, have permitted analysis of the evolution of the swirling secondary flow structures that develop along the bends during the pulsation phase. These measurements were made for a range of steady Reynolds number (300≤Rest≤1200), frequency parameter (1≤α=r0⋅(ω/υ)1/2<20), and two velocity component ratios (β=Umax,osc/Ust). We observe satisfactory agreement between the numerical and experimental results. For high β, the secondary flow structure is modified by a Lyne instability and a siphon effect during the deceleration phase. The intensity of the secondary flow decreases as the parameter α increases during the acceleration phase. During the deceleration phase, under the effect of reverse flow, the secondary flow intensity increases with the appearance of Lyne flow. Experimental results also show that pulsating flow through a twisted curved pipe increases mixing over the steady twisted curved pipe. This mixing enhancement increases with β.
ABC Transporters in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
and Their Interactors: New Technology Advances the Biology of the ABCC (MRP) Subfamily
Authors: Paumi Christian M. , Chuk Matthew , Snider Jamie , Stagljar Igor , Michaelis Susan
Published: November 2009

Members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily exist in bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals and play key roles in the efflux of xenobiotic compounds, physiological substrates, and toxic intracellular metabolites. Based on sequence relatedness, mammalian ABC proteins have been divided into seven subfamilies, ABC subfamily A (ABCA) to ABCG. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of ABC transporters in the model organism
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. We propose a revised unified nomenclature for the six yeast ABC subfamilies to reflect the current mammalian designations ABCA to ABCG. In addition, we specifically review the well-studied yeast ABCC subfamily (formerly designated the MRP/CFTR subfamily), which includes six members (Ycf1p, Bpt1p, Ybt1p/Bat1p, Nft1p, Vmr1p, and Yor1p). We focus on Ycf1p, the best-characterized yeast ABCC transporter. Ycf1p is located in the vacuolar membrane in yeast and functions in a manner analogous to that of the human multidrug resistance-related protein (MRP1, also called ABCC1), mediating the transport of glutathione-conjugated toxic compounds. We review what is known about Ycf1p substrates, trafficking, processing, posttranslational modifications, regulation, and interactors. Finally, we discuss a powerful new yeast two-hybrid technology called integrated membrane yeast two-hybrid (iMYTH) technology, which was designed to identify interactors of membrane proteins. iMYTH technology has successfully identified novel interactors of Ycf1p and promises to be an invaluable tool in future efforts to comprehensively define the yeast ABC interactome.
Cohesion Group Approach for Evolutionary Analysis of Aspartokinase, an Enzyme That Feeds a Branched Network of Many Biochemical Pathways
Authors: Lo Chien-Chi , Bonner Carol A. , Xie Gary , D'Souza Mark , Jensen Roy A.
Published: November 2009

Aspartokinase (Ask) exists within a variable network that supports the synthesis of 9 amino acids and a number of other important metabolites. Lysine, isoleucine, aromatic amino acids, and dipicolinate may arise from the ASK network or from alternative pathways. Ask proteins were subjected to cohesion group analysis, a methodology that sorts a given protein assemblage into groups in which evolutionary continuity is assured. Two subhomology divisions, ASK
α
and ASK
β
, have been recognized. The ASK
α
subhomology division is the most ancient, being widely distributed throughout the
Archaea
and
Eukarya
and in some
Bacteria
. Within an indel region of about 75 amino acids near the N terminus, ASK
β
sequences differ from ASK
α
sequences by the possession of a proposed ancient deletion. ASK
β
sequences are present in most
Bacteria
and usually exhibit an in-frame internal translational start site that can generate a small Ask subunit that is identical to the C-terminal portion of the larger subunit of a heterodimeric unit. Particularly novel are
ask
genes embedded in gene contexts that imply specialization for ectoine (osmotic agent) or aromatic amino acids. The cohesion group approach is well suited for the easy recognition of relatively recent lateral gene transfer (LGT) events, and many examples of these are described. Given the current density of genome representation for
Proteobacteria
, it is possible to reconstruct more ancient landmark LGT events. Thus, a plausible scenario in which the three well-studied and iconic Ask homologs of
Escherichia coli
are not within the vertical genealogy of
Gammaproteobacteria
, but rather originated via LGT from a
Bacteroidetes
donor, is supported.
Mapping the Tree of Life: Progress and Prospects
Authors: Pace Norman R.
Published: November 2009

The intent of this article is to provide a critical assessment of our current understanding of life's phylogenetic diversity. Phylogenetic comparison of gene sequences is a natural way to identify microorganisms and can also be used to infer the course of evolution. Three decades of molecular phylogenetic studies with various molecular markers have provided the outlines of a universal tree of life (ToL), the three-domain pattern of archaea, bacteria, and eucarya. The sequence-based perspective on microbial identification additionally opened the way to the identification of environmental microbes without the requirement for culture, particularly through analysis of rRNA gene sequences. Environmental rRNA sequences, which now far outnumber those from cultivars, expand our knowledge of the extent of microbial diversity and contribute increasingly heavily to the emerging ToL. Although the three-domain structure of the ToL is established, the deep phylogenetic structure of each of the domains remains murky and sometimes controversial. Obstacles to accurate inference of deep phylogenetic relationships are both systematic, in molecular phylogenetic calculations, and practical, due to a paucity of sequence representation for many groups of organisms.
Does bioethics exist?
Authors: Turner L
Published: November 2009

Bioethicists disagree over methods, theories, decision-making guides, case analyses and public policies. Thirty years ago, the thinking of many scholars coalesced around a principlist approach to bioethics. That mid-level mode of moral reasoning is now one of many approaches to moral deliberation. Significant variation in contemporary approaches to the study of ethical issues related to medicine, biotechnology and health care raises the question of whether bioethics exists as widely shared method, theory, normative framework or mode of moral reasoning.
Who gets the liver transplant? The use of responsibility as the tie breaker
Authors: Thornton V
Published: November 2009

Is it possible to invoke the use of moral responsibility as part of the selection criteria in the allocation of livers for transplant? Criticism has been applied to the difficulties inherent in including such a criterion and also the effect that employing such a judgement might have upon the relationship between the physician and patient. However, these criticisms rely on speculation and conjecture and do not relate to all the arguments put forward in favour of applying moral responsibility. None of the present arguments against using moral responsibility in the allocation of livers for transplant are good enough to warrant its dismissal.
Embryonic stem cell research is not dehumanising us
Authors: Klostergaard L
Published: November 2009

It is not possible on naturalistic grounds to argue either for or against an entity such as the human embryo having full moral status and deserving our fullest moral attention. In addition, it is difficult to see the point of asserting this moral status. Instead of citing nature as the grounds for demarcating moral status, perhaps it would be better to look at the decisions and activities that demarcate nature and establish the nature–culture gap. Our decisions and activities are expressions of our understanding of ourselves and I would like to argue that when considering the human embryo the real question we should be asking is what kinds of actions are dehumanising us.
Genetic selection for deafness: the views of hearing children of deaf adults
Authors: Mand C , Duncan R E , Gillam L , Collins V , Delatycki M B
Published: November 2009

The concept of selectingfora disability, and deafness in particular, has triggered a controversial and sometimes acrimonious debate between key stakeholders. Previous studies have concentrated on the views of the deaf and hard of hearing, health professionals and ethicists towards reproductive selectionfordeafness. This study, however, is the first of its kind examining the views of hearing children of deaf adults towards preimplantation genetic diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis to select for or against deafness. Hearing children of deaf adults (or CODAs, as they call themselves, and are widely known in the deaf community) straddle both the deaf and hearing worlds, and this dual perspective makes them ideally placed to add to the academic discourse concerning the use of genetic selection for or against deafness. The study incorporated two complementary stages, using initial, semistructured interviews with key informants (CODAs and health professionals) as a means to guide the subsequent development of an electronic survey, completed anonymously by 66 individuals. The participants shared many of the same views as deaf individuals in the D/deaf (or “culturally deaf”) community. The similarities extended to their opinions regarding deafness not being a disability (45.5% believed deafness was a distinct culture rather than a disability), their ambivalence towards having hearing or deaf children (72.3% indicated no preference) and their general disapproval of the use of genetic technologies to select either for or against deafness (60% believed that reproductive technologies, when used to select for or against deafness, should not be available to the community).
Jane Austen and Addison’s disease: an unconvincing diagnosis: Figure 1
Authors: White K G
Published: November 2009

Jane Austen’s letters describe a two-year deterioration into bed-ridden exhaustion, with unusual colouring, bilious attacks and rheumatic pains.

In 1964, Zachary Cope postulated tubercular Addison’s to explain her symptoms and her relatively pain-free illness. Literary scholars later countered this posthumous diagnosis on grounds that are not well substantiated, while medical authors supported his conclusion.

Important symptoms reported by contemporary Addison’s patients—mental confusion, generalised pain and suffering, weight loss and anorexia—are absent from Jane Austen’s letters. Thus, by listening to the patient’s perspective, we can conclude it is unlikely that Addison’s disease caused Jane Austen’s demise.

Disseminated bovine tuberculosis would offer a coherent explanation for her symptoms, so that Cope’s original suggestion of infective tuberculosis as the cause of her illness may have been correct.
Existential boredom: the experience of living on haemodialysis therapy
Authors: Moran A , Scott P A , Darbyshire P
Published: November 2009

Empathy is an essential component of professional nursing practice. In order to empathise appropriately with patients, it is crucial that nurses appreciate, understand and respond to their patients’ experience of illness. This study sought to explore the experiences of 16 people with end stage renal disease on haemodialysis therapy in Ireland. A hermeneutical phenomenological methodology was employed incorporating qualitative interviews. The data were analysed using qualitative interpretive analysis. The experience of waiting was significant for the participants in the study. The experience of waiting was constituted by two themes labelledkilling timeandwasting time. It is suggested that the participants’ experience of waiting is reminiscent of Heidegger’s existential account of boredom. Moreover, the existential perspective of boredom contained within the participants’ accounts is also depicted by Beckett in his playWaiting for Godot. Consequently, the literature of both existential writers is incorporated to provide a more in-depth description of the participants’ experience of waiting. It is hoped that the insights provided in this paper will enable practitioners to gain a new awareness and understanding of patients’ experiences of end stage renal disease and haemodialysis therapy. This would subsequently enable these professionals to empathise more effectively with their patients’ situation and respond more appropriately to their care needs.
Performing the good death: the medievalArs moriendiand contemporary doctors
Authors: Thornton K , Phillips C B
Published: November 2009

Death is inevitable, but dying well is not. Despite the role of medical professionals as overseers of dying in contemporary society, there is comparatively little discourse among doctors about the constituents of a good death. In the 15th century, by contrast, theArs moriendiportrayed normative medieval ideas about good and bad deaths. At a time when dying could be viewed as a performed battle against damnation, theArs moriendicodified a set of moral precepts that governed the expression of autonomy, relations between the dying and the living and orientation towards God. In these images, dying well is a moral activity that results from active decisions by the dying person to turn from earthly preoccupations to contemplation of, and submission to, the divine. It is likely in contemporary society that there is a range of understandings of the “good death”. While attitudes to personal autonomy may differ, reflectiveness and dying at home in the presence of family (expressed in theArs moriendi), remain part of many modern notions of the good death. We argue that medical institutions continue to construct death as a performed battle against physical debility, even when patients may have different views of their preferred deaths. The dialectic approach of theArs moriendimay offer a way for contemporary doctors to reflect critically on the potential dissonance between their own approach to death and the variety of culturally valorised “good deaths”.
Using art and literature as educational resources in palliative care: Table 1
Authors: Lawton S , McKie A
Published: November 2009

This case study outlines a staff seminar programme that used art and literature as vehicles to explore personal and professional dimensions of palliative care. Participating staff found the learning experience interesting and insightful.
THE INFLUENCE OF A SUSTAINED MONOCYTOSIS UPON THE ANTIBODY RESPONSE IN RABBITS TO VARIOUS ANTIGENS
Authors: Girard Kenneth F. , Murray E. G. D.
Published: November 2009

By means of periodic injections of a chloroform soluble, nontoxic, and non-antigenic lipid substance extracted from Listeria monocytogenes, it was possible to stimulate and maintain a high degree of monocytosis in the blood of rabbits for at least twenty days. Animals immunized with Salmonella typhosa, staphylococcus toxoid, and horse serum during the period of monocytosis gave considerably higher titers than did control animals in every case.
THE PRESENCE OF ANTIBODY IN MACROPHAGE EXTRACTS
Authors: Girard Kenneth F. , Murray E. G. D.
Published: November 2009

By means of intrapleural injections of gum arabic – beef extract mixtures into rabbits with an induced monocytosis it was possible to produce exudates wherein the predominating cell type was the monocyte. Exudates so-invoked in rabbits undergoing a secondary response showed that antibody was present in higher concentration within the exudate cells than in the supernatant fluid or blood plasma. However, passively introduced antiserum was also concentrated within these cells. Although it cannot be asserted that the monocytes themselves synthesize antibody, it nevertheless appears quite likely that these cells can take it up in considerable quantity.
INTRACELLULAR DISTRIBUTION OF DESOXYRIBONUCLEO-DEPOLYMERASE IN NORMAL RAT LIVER, LIVER TUMOR, AND LIVER OF ANIMALS FED p-DIMETHYLAMINOAZOBENZENE
Authors: Lamirande Gaston de , Allard Claude , Cantero Antonio
Published: November 2009

The intracellular distribution of desoxyribonucleodepolymerase (DNase) has been investigated in the liver of animals fed p-dimethylaminoazobenzene (DAB), in liver freed from tumor, and in DAB induced tumor. The method is based on the determination of acid soluble material containing phosphorus, liberated by the action of the enzyme upon highly polymerized DNA. Results indicated that the nuclear DNase particularly accounts for a very low percentage of the whole cell activity in normal rat liver, whereas in nuclei of liver of DAB fed rats and of tumor the activity is increased to a high level. These facts suggest a possible correlation between the activity of DNase in the nuclear fraction and the mitotic rate of the tissue.
ENSEMBLE OF NOVEL NEURAL NETWORK BASED ON CLONAL SELECTION ALGORITHM FOR SNEAK CIRCUIT ANALYSIS
Authors: XINZHAN QI , BINGJIE LIU , XINGLIANG JIA
Published: November 2009

Neural network was introduced to sneak circuit analysis (SCA) in previous works. However, it may generate suspect results which were hard to explain. To overcome the shortcomings, this paper proposed a novel neural network model based on circuit architecture, named CArNN, which is used as an individual of an ensemble. In CArNN, neurons represented system components, and weights represented the joints between components. Models of neurons are sigmoid functions. Clone selection algorithm was used to train CArNNs population. The trained antibodies were used as individuals of an ensemble. The inputs of CArNN are states of switches, and the outputs are states of functional components. Ensemble predicted all possible functions of circuit. The sneak circuits can be discovered by comparing the predicted and designed functions. The results revealed that CArNNs can exactly discover sneak circuits.
ON THE COMPARISON OF NN-BASED ARCHITECTURES FOR DIABETIC DAMAGE DETECTION IN RETINAL IMAGES
Authors: BEVILACQUA VITOANTONIO , CARNIMEO LEONARDA , MASTRONARDI GIUSEPPE , SANTARCANGELO VITO , SCARAMUZZI ROCCO
Published: November 2009

The automatic screening of retinal images for an early detection of diabetic symptoms and an early prevention of diabetic retinopathies has been a prime focus in recent times. In this paper a contribution to improve diabetic damage detection in retinal images via neural networks is proposed by comparing two neural strategies. By considering the first architecture, fundus oculi symptomatic pale regions are firstly highlighted by enhancing image contrast with a neurofuzzy subnet, which is synthesized using a Sparsely-Connected Neural Network. Then, obtained contrast-enhanced images with bimodal histograms are globally segmented, after an optimal thresholding performed by a neural subsystem. In output binary images, suspect diabetic areas are finally isolated. By considering the second architecture, an EBP MLP neural net is synthesized, where a suitable training set of suspect patterns is developed by (5 × 5) windows centered on damaged pixels in gold standard images provided by clinicians. Performances are evaluated by percentage measures of exactness in the detection of suspect damaged areas via a comparison with gold standard images provided by clinicians. Results of both strategies are discussed and compared with other researchers' ones.
BAYESIAN INFERENCE OF STOCHASTIC VOLATILITY MODEL BY HYBRID MONTE CARLO
Authors: TAKAISHI TETSUYA
Published: November 2009

The hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm is applied for the Bayesian inference of the stochastic volatility (SV) model. We use the HMC algorithm for the Markov chain Monte Carlo updates of volatility variables of the SV model. First we compute parameters of the SV model by using the artificial financial data and compare the results from the HMC algorithm with those from the Metropolis algorithm. We find that the HMC algorithm decorrelates the volatility variables faster than the Metropolis algorithm. Second we make an empirical study for the time series of the Nikkei 225 stock index by the HMC algorithm. We find the similar correlation behavior for the sampled data to the results from the artificial financial data and obtain a ϕ value close to one (ϕ ≈ 0.977), which means that the time series has the strong persistency of the volatility shock.
MINING PROTEIN REGULATORY RELATIONSHIPS USING NEURAL NETWORK METHODS FOR EARLY PREDICTION OF SARS
Authors: WANG HONG-QIANG , ZHU HAI LONG , ZHENG CHUNHOU , YIP TIMOTHY T. C. , CHO WILLIAM C. S. , LAW STEPHEN C. K.
Published: November 2009

This paper proposes to model protein regulation networks associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) for early prediction of SARS. In the approach, specific to a patient group, a regulatory network is simulated using a fully-connected neural network and is optimized towards minimizing a novel energy function that is defined as a measure of disagreement between the input and output of the network. The nonlinear version of the network is achieved by applying a sigmoid function. Experimental results show that the proposed approaches can capture regulatory patterns associated with SARS and efficiently implement early prediction of SARS.
AN ASSOCIATION RULE MINING APPROACH FOR CO-REGULATED SIGNATURE GENES IDENTIFICATION IN CANCER
Authors: SEEJA K. R. , ALAM M. A. , JAIN S. K.
Published: November 2009

When a normal cell becomes cancerous there will be change in expression of many genes in that cell. Identification of these changes in gene expression in cancer tissue may lead to the development of novel tools for early diagnosis and effective therapeutics. In this paper we present an association rule mining approach to identify the association between the genes that are differentially expressed in cancer tissue compared to normal tissue. We design an association rule mining algorithm GeneExpMiner for gene expression data mining. Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) data related to pancreas cancer is used to demonstrate the approach. It is expected that the approach will help in developing better treatment methodologies for cancer and designing low cost microarray chips for diagnosing cancer. The results have been validated in terms of Gene Ontology and the signature genes that we have identified are matching with the published data.
EMPIRICAL MODE DECOMPOSITION METHOD FOR MEG PHANTOM DATA ANALYSIS
Authors: YANG JUHONG , SAITO YUKI , SHI QIWEI , CAO JIANTING , TANAKA TOSHIHISA , TAKEDA TSUNEHIRO
Published: November 2009

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a powerful and non-invasive technique for measuring human brain activity with a high temporal resolution. The motivation for studying MEG data analysis is to extract the essential features from real-world measured data and represent them corresponding to the human brain functions. This usually depends on how to reduce a high level noise from the measurement. In this paper, a novel multistage MEG data analysis method based on the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and independent component analysis (ICA) approaches is proposed for the feature extraction. Moreover, EMD and ICA algorithms are investigated for analyzing the MEG single-trial data which is recorded from the experiment of phantom. The analyzed results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and high performance both in high level noise reduction by EMD associated with ICA approach and source localization by equivalent current dipole fitting method.
ESTIMATION ALGORITHM FOR SEQUENTIAL TRANSMISSION OF SENSOR DATA
Authors: SUH YOUNG SOO
Published: November 2009

In this paper, a state estimation problem is considered, where sensor data are transmitted with finite communication capacity constraint. To reduce the sensor data transmission, only one sensor data is transmitted at each period among multiple sensors. We propose a dynamic scheduling algorithm, which is based on the difference between the current sensor data and the last transmitted sensor value. The proposed algorithm chooses sensor data, which have the largest contribution to the estimation performance. With the proposed algorithm, when a sensor data is chosen and transmitted, some information can be derived from not transmitted sensor data. This information is also used for better estimation performance.
AN EFFICIENT MULTI-RESOLUTION TEXTURE SYNTHESIZING METHOD BASED ON WAVELET TRANSFORM
Authors: ZHENG XIN , WANG XIAODONG , CUI HAIFENG , RUAN TONG
Published: November 2009

The real-time rendering of high-quality, non-uniform scenes based on viewpoint has always been one of the most difficult problems in the CG area. In this paper, we propose one efficient algorithm to solve this problem with the help of merging texture synthesis and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) techniques. Using a single normal-sized image input, we can efficiently obtain texture sizes with different resolutions and update these in real-time rendering with the help of DWT. The results of our experiments prove that our algorithm can smoothly and efficiently render the non-uniform scenes based on viewpoint.
AN IMPROVED INTERNAL MODEL FOR SWARM FORMATION AND ADAPTIVE SWARM BEHAVIOR ACQUISITION
Authors: KUREMOTO TAKASHI , YAMANO YUKI , OBAYASHI MASANAO , KOBAYASHI KUNIKAZU
Published: November 2009

To form a swarm and acquire swarm behaviors adaptive to the environment, we proposed a neuro-fuzzy learning system as a common internal model of each individual recently. The proposed swarm behavior learning system showed its efficient accomplishment in the simulation experiments of goal-exploration problems. However, the input information observed from the environment in our conventional methods was given by coordinate spaces (discrete or continuous) which were difficult to be obtained in the real world by the individuals. This paper intends to improve our previous neuro-fuzzy learning system to deal with the local-limited observation, i.e., usually being a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP), by adopting eligibility traces and balancing trade-off between exploration and exploitation to the conventional learning algorithm. Simulations of goal-oriented problems for swarm learning were executed and the results showed the effectiveness of the improved learning system.
AUTOMATED SELECTION OF NEW BUSINESS INTERACTIONS
Authors: ENCHEVA SYLVIA , TUMIN SHARIL
Published: November 2009

This paper focuses on joint operations of enterprises of various size transporting cargo to pre-determined destinations. Hasse diagrams are used for a graphical representation of collaboration alternatives. Effectiveness of various business alliance partnerships is evaluated employing many-valued logic.