bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Encouraging IT usage in future healthcare, quality in CS education
Authors: Wing Jeannette M. , Guzdial Mark
Published: April 2013

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Jeannette M. Wing considers how technology acts as a change agent for healthcare, while Mark Guzdial ponders ways to measure quality in computer science education.
The science in computer science
Authors: Denning Peter J.
Published: April 2013

Computer science is in a period of renaissance as it rediscovers its science roots.
A file system all its own
Authors: Leventhal Adam H.
Published: April 2013

Flash memory has come a long way and it is time for software to catch up.
Eventual consistency today
Authors: Bailis Peter , Ghodsi Ali
Published: April 2013

How can applications be built on eventually consistent infrastructure given no guarantee of safety?
Strategies for tomorrow's 'winners-take-some' digital goods markets
Authors: Kemerer Chris F. , Liu Charles Zhechao , Smith Michael D.
Published: April 2013

Markets characterized by multiple competing digital standards have room for more than one winner, unlike traditional analog markets.
The promise of consumer technologies in emerging markets
Authors: Junglas Iris , Harris Jeanne
Published: April 2013

Employees in emerging markets find their own IT devices vital to job productivity and innovation.
GPU ray tracing
Authors: Parker Steven G. , Friedrich Heiko , Luebke David , Morley Keith , Bigler James , Hoberock Jared , McAllister David , Robison Austin , Dietrich Andreas , Humphreys Greg , McGuire Morgan , Stich Martin
Published: April 2013

The NVIDIA® OptiX™ ray tracing engine is a programmable system designed for NVIDIA GPUs and other highly parallel architectures. The OptiX engine builds on the key observation that most ray tracing algorithms can be implemented using a small set of programmable operations. Consequently, the core of OptiX is a domain-specific just-in-time compiler that generates custom ray tracing kernels by combining user-supplied programs for ray generation, material shading, object intersection, and scene traversal. This enables the implementation of a highly diverse set of ray tracing-based algorithms and applications, including interactive rendering, offline rendering, collision detection systems, artificial intelligence queries, and scientific simulations such as sound propagation. OptiX achieves high performance through a compact object model and application of several ray tracing-specific compiler optimizations. For ease of use it exposes a single-ray programming model with full support for recursion and a dynamic dispatch mechanism similar to virtual function calls.
Puzzled: Ant Alice's adventures
Authors: Winkler Peter
Published: April 2013

These three puzzles involve my favorite ant, Ant Alice. Like all ants on this page, Alice moves at exactly one centimeter per second in whichever direction she happens to be facing; if she meets another ant head on, both immediately reverse direction and walk away from each other, each still at speed 1 cm/sec. Figuring out how Alice and her friends behave is surprisingly easy if viewed the right way; here's a tip: Certain physical principles may play a role in your reasoning.
Gender Differences in Correlates of Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Black Medicare Beneficiaries in Baltimore
Authors: Martinez Kathryn A. , Pollack Craig E. , Phelan Darcy F. , Markakis Diane , Bone Lee , Shapiro Gary , Wenzel Jennifer , Howerton Mollie , Johnson Lawrence , Garza Mary A. , Ford Jean G.
Published: April 2013

Background: Previous research has shown colorectal cancer (CRC) screening disparities by gender. Little research has focused primarily on gender differences among older Black individuals, and reasons for existing gender differences remain poorly understood.

Methods: We used baseline data from the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration Screening Trial. Participants were recruited from November 2006 to March 2010. In-person interviews were used to assess self-reported CRC screening behavior. Up-to-date CRC screening was defined as self-reported colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy in the past 10 years or fecal occult blood testing in the past year. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between gender and self-reported screening, adjusting for covariates. The final model was stratified by gender to examine factors differentially associated with screening outcomes for males and females.

Results: The final sample consisted of 1,552 female and 586 male Black Medicare beneficiaries in Baltimore, Maryland. Males were significantly less likely than females to report being up-to-date with screening (77.5% vs. 81.6%, P = 0.030), and this difference was significant in the fully adjusted model (OR: 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.52–0.99). The association between having a usual source of care and receipt of cancer screening was stronger among males compared with females.

Conclusions: Although observed differences in CRC screening were small, several factors suggest that gender-specific approaches may be used to promote screening adherence among Black Medicare beneficiaries.

Impact: Given disproportionate CRC mortality between White and Black Medicare beneficiaries, gender-specific interventions aimed at increasing CRC screening may be warranted among older Black patients. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(6); 1037–42. ©2013 AACR.
Validity of Dual MRI and 18F-FDG PET Imaging in Predicting Vulnerable and Inflamed Carotid Plaque
Authors: Saito Hisayasu , Kuroda Satoshi , Hirata Kenji , Magota Keiichi , Shiga Tohru , Tamaki Nagara , Yoshida Daisuke , Terae Satoshi , Nakayama Naoki , Houkin Kiyohiro
Published: April 2013

Background: Vulnerable and inflamed plaques in the carotid artery are at high risk of ischemic stroke, suggesting the importance of diagnostic modalities to detect them in patients with carotid stenosis with high sensitivity and specificity. Although many investigators have reported that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful tool to predict the vulnerable components of carotid plaque, its validity is not established. On the other hand, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) may be an alternative modality to directly identify the inflamed plaque in carotid artery stenosis. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the validity of MRI and FDG-PET to predict vulnerable and inflamed carotid plaque. Methods: This prospective study totally included 25 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for carotid artery stenosis at our institute between January 2009 and January 2012. Prior to CEA, FDG-PET, black-blood T1-weighted imaging (BB-T1WI), and 3-dimensional time-of-flight (TOF) imaging were performed. The specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin to assess the different plaque components (lipid, hemorrhage, calcification, and fibrous tissue). In addition, they were stained with primary antibodies against CD68 (activated macrophages) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. Results: High FDG uptake was detected in 13 (52.0%) of 25 patients. All of them had lipid-rich plaque. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) to identify the lipid-rich plaques were all 100% for FDG-PET. More importantly, all of the FDG-positive plaques had strong immunoreactivity against both CD68 and MMP-9. There was a significant correlation between the findings on FDG-PET and those on immunohistochemistry against CD68 and MMP-9 (p = 0.006 and 0.004, respectively). On the other hand, 16 (64.0%) of 25 patients had high signal intensity plaque on BB-T1WI. In 7 of these 16 patients, the lesions also showed high signal intensity on TOF imaging. All of them had a large intraplaque hemorrhage. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV to identify a large intraplaque hemorrhage were 70, 100, 100, and 83%, respectively, for MRI. Conclusions: These findings suggest that FDG-PET and MRI are complementary to predict high-risk carotid plaque, such as lipid-rich or hemorrhagic plaque. FDG-PET can accurately predict the lipid-rich and inflamed plaque. MRI is valuable to identify unstable plaque with a large intraplaque hemorrhage. The combination of these two modalities may play an important role in predicting carotid plaque at high risk of ischemic stroke.
Symptoms of Early Dementia-11 Questionnaire (SED-11Q): A Brief Informant-Operated Screening for Dementia
Authors: Maki Yohko , Yamaguchi Tomoharu , Yamaguchi Haruyasu
Published: April 2013

The aim of this study was to develop a brief informant-based questionnaire, namely the Symptoms of Early Dementia-11 Questionnaire (SED-11Q), for the screening of early dementia. 459 elderly individuals participated, including 39 with mild cognitive impairment in the Clinical Dementia Rating scale (CDR) 0.5, 233 with mild dementia in CDR 1, 106 with moderate dementia in CDR 2, and 81 normal controls in CDR 0. Informants were required to fill out a 13-item questionnaire. Two items were excluded after analyzing sensitivities and specificities. The final version of the SED-11Q assesses memory, daily functioning, social communication, and personality changes. Receiver operator characteristic curves assessed the utility to discriminate between CDR 0 (no dementia) and CDR 1 (mild dementia). The statistically optimal cutoff value of 2/3, which indicated a sensitivity of 0.84 and a specificity of 0.90, can be applied in the clinical setting. In the community setting, a cutoff value of 3/4, which indicated a sensitivity of 0.76 and a specificity of 0.96, is recommended to avoid false positives. The SED-11Q reliably differentiated nondemented from demented individuals when completed by an informant, and thus is practical as a rapid screening tool in general practice, as well as in the community setting, to decide whether to seek further diagnostic confirmation.
The co-occurrence of common mental and physical disorders within Australian families: A national population-based study
Authors: Saha Sukanta , Stedman Terry J , Scott James G , McGrath John J
Published: April 2013

Objective:

Because comorbidity between mental and physical disorders is commonly found in patients, it would be expected that this pattern would also be reflected at the family level. During a recent population-based survey of common mental disorders, respondents were asked about the presence of selected mental and physical disorders in their relatives. The aim of this research was to describe the within-family co-occurrence of selected common physical and mental disorders in a population-based sample.

Methods:

Subjects were drawn from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2007. A modified version of the World Mental Health Survey Initiative of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI 3.0, henceforth CIDI) was used to identify lifetime-ever common psychiatric disorders (anxiety disorders, depression, drug or alcohol disorders). The respondents were asked if any of their relatives had one of a list of psychiatric (anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, drug or alcohol problem, schizophrenia) or general physical disorders (cancer, heart problems, intellectual disability, memory problems). We examined the relationship between the variables of interest using logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounding factors.

Results:

Compared to otherwise-well respondents, those who had a CIDI diagnosis of major depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, or drug or alcohol abuse/dependence were significantly more likely to have first-degree relatives with (a) the same diagnosis as the respondent, (b) other mental disorders not identified in the respondent, and (c) a broad range of general physical conditions.

Conclusions:

Individuals with common mental disorders report greater familial co-occurrence for a range of mental and physical disorders. When eliciting family histories, clinicians should remain mindful that both mental and physical disorders can co-occur within families.
Oltre la tradizione del romanzo storico ad argomento risorgimentale: La riscrittura di donna e nazione ne Il sorriso dell’ignoto marinaio di Vincenzo Consolo
Authors: Bouchard Norma
Published: April 2013

Fin dalla sua pubblicazione presso la casa editrice Einaudi nel 1976, Il sorriso dell’ignoto marinaio di Vincenzo Consolo è stato oggetto di una pressoché costante attenzione da parte della comunità critica internazionale, che ha rilevato l’importanza rivestita dal testo all’interno della tradizione del romanzo storico in Italia. Dopo una breve discussione della relazione fra genere e nazione nel canone di romanzi ad argomento risorgimentale (per esempio in Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis di Ugo Foscolo, I Viceré di Federico De Roberto, I vecchi e i giovani di Luigi Pirandello e Il Gattopardo di Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa) e della genealogia discorsiva che li sottende, il saggio esamina il personaggio di Catena Carnevale, soggetto simbolico fondamentale nel Sorriso letto nel contesto del revisionismo storico di stampo femminista (i.e. Pieroni Bortolotti, Annarita Buttafuoco, Simonetta Soldani, Michela DeGiorgio, et al.) la cui origine risale proprio agli anni della pubblicazione del romanzo.
The tragic consequences of Italian unification, including fascism: Two recent views
Authors: Mariani Umberto
Published: April 2013

This review article discusses two recent books in English dealing with Italian history, both recent and past. David Gilmour’s The Pursuit of Italy maintains that the unification of Italy was a sin against history and geography, and considers virtually all the elements of dysfunction – military, political, administrative – a tragic consequence of that ill-conceived and poorly executed unification. Attaching particular importance to a statement by Gobetti, even fascism and the 20 years of its dictatorship are seen among those tragic consequences. However, Gilmour also proposes that the majority of Italians favored the regime or it could not have lasted 20 years. Michael Ebner’s Ordinary Violence in Mussolini’s Italy makes it abundantly clear how and through which violent means the regime was able to last that long, without needing to invoke the supposed complicity of the majority of the Italian people.
An evaluation of an intervention using sign language and multi-sensory coding to support word learning and reading comprehension of deaf signing children
Authors: van Staden Annalene
Published: April 2013

The reading skills of many deaf children lag several years behind those of hearing children, and there is a need for identifying reading difficulties and implementing effective reading support strategies in this population. This study embraces a balanced reading approach, and investigates the efficacy of applying multi-sensory coding strategies and reading scaffolding to facilitate elementary phase deaf readers’ reading development. Sign language – in combination with multiple visual, tactile and kinaesthetic coding strategies and reading scaffolding techniques – was used to facilitate literacy and vocabulary development. Participants were 64 children, diagnosed with severe to profound bilateral hearing loss and aged from 6;03 to 11;08 years (mean age 9.37 years). Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group. There were no significant differences between the groups pre-intervention on measures of sight word fluency, word recognition, receptive and expressive vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. Results demonstrated a significant increase in reading and vocabulary skills of deaf readers who received the balanced reading approach intervention, as compared to the control group who received usual classroom instruction. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and pedagogical implications these findings have for deaf children’s reading and literacy development.
Autonomy of Migration Despite Its Securitisation? Facing the Terms and Conditions of Biometric Rebordering
Authors: Scheel Stephan
Published: April 2013

This article reconsiders the concept of autonomy of migration in the context of technologically ever-more sophisticated border regimes by focusing on the case of biometric rebordering. As its name suggests, the concept of autonomy of migration’s core thesis proposes that migratory movements yield moments of autonomy in regards to any attempt to control and regulate them. Yet, the concept of autonomy of migration has been repeatedly accused of being based on and contributing to a romanticisation of migration. After outlining two advantages the concept of autonomy of migration offers for the analysis of biometric border regimes, I demonstrate that processes of biometric rebordering increase the warranty of the two allegations, which feed this major critique. Drawing on examples relating to the Visa Information System, I show that processes of biometric rebordering alter the practical terms and material conditions for moments of autonomy of migration to such an extent that it becomes necessary to rethink not only some of the concept of autonomy of migration’s central features, but the notion of autonomy itself. In the final section, I therefore point out some directions to develop the concept of autonomy of migration as an approach, which is better equipped to investigate today’s struggles of migration without being prone to the critique of implicating a romanticisation of migration.
Development of reactive artificial liner using recycled materials. 2. Chemical transport properties
Authors: Chin Johnnie Y , Asavanich Pitch , Moon Kyong-Whan , Park Jae K
Published: April 2013

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have so far been found to permeate through geomembranes within days and potentially pollute the surrounding groundwater if no sufficient depth of underlain soil barrier existed In order to cope with the fast breakthrough of VOCs through high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane in the composite liner system, a composite material made of recycled materials was proposed and its mechanical properties were analyzed in a previous study. This artificial liner was composed of crumb rubber, organo-clay, silica fume and epoxy binder together with an environmentally-friendly solvent recycled from paper pulping, and dimethyl sulfoxide as a plasticizer. In this study, the new artificial liner and a typical HDPE geomembrane were tested to compare their abilities to mitigate the movement of VOCs, specifically partition coefficient, diffusion coefficient and mass fluxes. It was found that this new artificial liner had 2–3 orders of magnitude less VOC mass flux than the HDPE geomembrane. The new artificial liner is thought to have a great potential for containing VOCs, even with a thickness of 2.5 cm, and as a substitute for the clay liner. The cost of installing the artificial liner was estimated to be $13.78/m2. This is lower than the current geomembrane-related price of $19.70–26.91/m2. The new liner might give a new perspective in future liner design and alleviate the concerning issue of groundwater pollution caused by landfill leachate, which might contain highly mobile VOCs.
Perceived Hotness Affects Behavior of Basketball Players and Coaches
Authors: Attali Yigal
Published: April 2013

Although “hot hands” in basketball are illusory, the belief in them is so robust that it not only has sparked many debates but may also affect the behavior of players and coaches. On the basis of an entire National Basketball Association season’s worth of data, the research reported here shows that even a single successful shot suffices to increase a player’s likelihood of taking the next team shot, increase the average distance from which this next shot is taken, decrease the probability that this next shot is successful, and decrease the probability that the coach will replace the player.
I Know Not To, but I Can’t Help It
Authors: Sutin Angelina R. , Costa Paul T. , Chan Wayne , Milaneschi Yuri , Eaton William W. , Zonderman Alan B. , Ferrucci Luigi , Terracciano Antonio
Published: April 2013

Reciprocal relations between weight and psychological factors suggest that there are deep connections between mind and body. Personality traits are linked to weight gain; weight gain may likewise be associated with personality change. Using data from two diverse longitudinal samples ( N = 1,919) collected at two time points an average of 10 years apart, we showed that significant weight gain is associated with increases in both impulsiveness and deliberation: In both samples, middle-aged adults who gained 10% or more of their baseline body weight by follow-up increased in their tendency to give in to temptation, yet were more thoughtful about the consequences of their actions. The present research moves beyond life events to implicate health status in adult personality development. The findings also suggest that interventions focusing on the emotional component of impulse control may be more effective because even people who become more thoughtful about the consequences of their actions may have limited success at inhibiting their behavior.
Between consolidation and crisis: divergent pressures and sectoral trends in Poland
Authors: Meardi Guglielmo , Trappmann Vera
Published: April 2013

This article describes the evolution of social dialogue and collective bargaining in Poland between 2008 and 2012, arguing that the effects of the crisis have been asymmetrical in two ways. First, while Poland is the only EU country to have avoided recession in macroeconomic terms, the crisis has actually disproportionately affected labour through higher unemployment and worsening employment conditions. Secondly, in a decentralized system like the Polish one, effects of the crisis have differed by sector. Sectors exposed to international competition such as the automotive and steel sectors have suffered from job losses and major restructuring, while services and construction have withstood better. While social dialogue has been temporarily re-legitimized during the crisis, it plays only a sporadic role.
A novel gammaherpesvirus in a large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) with blepharitis
Authors: Paige Brock A. , Cortés-Hinojosa Galaxia , Plummer Caryn E. , Conway Julia A. , Roff Shannon R. , Childress April L. , Wellehan James F. X.
Published: April 2013

A novel gammaherpesvirus was identified in a large flying fox ( Pteropus vampyrus) with conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and meibomianitis by nested polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of 472 base pairs of the DNA-dependent DNA polymerase gene were used to identify a novel herpesvirus. Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses indicated that the virus is a member of the genus Percavirus in the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. Additional research is needed regarding the association of this virus with conjunctivitis and other ocular pathology. This virus may be useful as a biomarker of stress and may be a useful model of virus recrudescence in Pteropus spp.
Prekallikrein Deficiency
Authors: Quail M. Thomas
Published: April 2013

Nurses often encounter abnormal laboratory assays that require them to investigate further to ensure that appropriate patient care is provided. A prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT) with a normal prothrombin time (PT) assay demand further examination, to rule out laboratory error or bleeding disorders. Prekallikrein deficiency is a rare coagulation deficiency that presents itself with a prolonged PTT and a normal PT. It was first identified in 4 of the 11 Fletcher family children in 1965, coincidentally when one of the Fletcher children was undergoing a workup for an adenoidectomy. Both the Fletcher parents had normal coagulation laboratory assays with no history of bleeding tendencies. The term Fletcher factor deficiency was used until Fletcher factor was later identified as plasma prekallikrein. A prekallikrein deficiency is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. The purpose of this article is to provide a basic review for nurses on hemostasis, identify the 6 causes of a prolonged PTT with a normal or slightly prolonged PT, and to present 2 recently diagnosed adult cases, not previously reported in the medical literature.
What Underlies Urban Politics? Race, Class, Ideology, Partisanship, and the Urban Vote
Authors: Hajnal Zoltan , Trounstine Jessica
Published: April 2013

What is urban politics really about? Despite decades of research, there is still considerable disagreement about the relative roles of race, class, ideology, partisanship, and other factors in shaping the urban vote. In this article, we assemble a wide range of data on a diverse set of urban elections and offer a more explicit empirical test of what shapes urban politics. Our results suggest that local elections are partly an ideological battle, partly a partisan contest, and at least marginally linked to class, religion, and morality. Race, however, is the dominant factor in the local electoral arena. Local elections are in no small part a competition between blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asian-Americans over the leadership of their cities. We also assess how and why these divides vary across cities and electoral contexts finding that a theory of realistic group conflict best predicts patterns in the vote.
The relationship of PTSD to key somatic complaints and cultural syndromes among Cambodian refugees attending a psychiatric clinic: The Cambodian Somatic Symptom and Syndrome Inventory (CSSI)
Authors: Hinton Devon E. , Kredlow M. Alexandra , Pich Vuth , Bui Eric , Hofmann Stefan G.
Published: April 2013

This article describes a culturally sensitive questionnaire for the assessment of the effects of trauma in the Cambodian refugee population, the Cambodian Somatic Symptom and Syndrome Inventory (CSSI), and gives the results of a survey with the instrument. The survey examined the relationship of the CSSI, the two CSSI subscales, and the CSSI items to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity and self-perceived functioning. A total of 226 traumatized Cambodian refugees were assessed at a psychiatric clinic in Lowell, MA, USA. There was a high correlation of the CSSI, the CSSI somatic and syndrome scales, and all the CSSI items to the PTSD Checklist (PCL), a measure of PTSD severity. All the CSSI items varied greatly across three levels of PTSD severity, and patients with higher levels of PTSD had very high scores on certain CSSI-assessed somatic items such as dizziness, orthostatic dizziness (upon standing), and headache, and on certain CSSI-assessed cultural syndromes such as khyâl attacks, “fear of fainting and dying upon standing up,” and “thinking a lot.” The CSSI was more highly correlated than the PCL to self-perceived disability assessed by the Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12). The study demonstrates that the somatic symptoms and cultural syndromes described by the CSSI form a central part of the Cambodian refugee trauma ontology. The survey indicates that locally salient somatic symptoms and cultural syndromes need be profiled to adequately assess the effects of trauma.
Your search – ‘Ontological Security’ – matched 111,000 documents: An empirical substantiation of the cultural dimension of online search
Authors: Sanz Esteve , Stančík Juraj
Published: April 2013

More than any other form of online activity, the practices of online information search have been overwhelmingly associated with their straightforward utility and with the potential alterations in the socio-economic structure that the access to this information, or lack thereof, entails. However, even when afforded such an apparently instrumental role, several important elements of the Internet are based on, and oriented towards, culture, identity and collectivity, and relate to a symbolically un-fragmented system that remains largely unconscious. In this paper we appropriate the concept of ontological security to explore the autonomy of the cultural dimension of online search, which has gone largely unanalysed in the literature. Ontological security is the unconscious sense that individuals have about the continuity and order in events related to their lives. At the collective level, it relates to the stability of the symbolic structures of society, which are both inclusive and exclusionary. Through a series of qualitative and quantitative empirical exercises, we show that search engines (1) construct ontological meaning as much as they provide utility, (2) relate to unconscious individuation even more strongly than rational instrumentality and (3) help in dealing with existential questions about the informational chaos of reality generated during the realization of global events. Even in the seemingly individualistic information society, search brings a clearer sense of the position of the subject in relation to the collectivity.
International students’ identities in a globalized world: Narratives from Vietnam
Authors: Pham Lien , Saltmarsh David
Published: April 2013

Based on the findings of in-depth interviews with Vietnamese tertiary (higher education) students studying in Australia, this article explores how international students construct their identities drawing on their social networks. It provides insights into how international students encounter and traverse cultural differences to define new perspectives of identity that would enable them to perform specific roles and enhance their heritage identity. This article invites international education providers to embrace cultural diversity by recognizing social and cultural influences as determining factors in students’ learning and being, and to effect curriculum and pedagogy that allow opportunities for international students to develop self-knowledge, openness and citizenship.
Evolution of MHC class I genes in the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) revealed by 454 amplicon sequencing
Authors: Stiebens Victor A , Merino Sonia E , Chain Frédéric J J , Eizaguirre Christophe
Published: April 2013

Background

In evolutionary and conservation biology, parasitism is often highlighted as a major selective pressure. To fight against parasites and pathogens, genetic diversity of the immune genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are particularly important. However, the extensive degree of polymorphism observed in these genes makes it difficult to conduct thorough population screenings.

Methods

We utilized a genotyping protocol that uses 454 amplicon sequencing to characterize the MHC class I in the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and to investigate their evolution at multiple relevant levels of organization.

Results

MHC class I genes revealed signatures of trans-species polymorphism across several reptile species. In the studied loggerhead turtle individuals, it results in the maintenance of two ancient allelic lineages. We also found that individuals carrying an intermediate number of MHC class I alleles are larger than those with either a low or high number of alleles.

Conclusions

Multiple modes of evolution seem to maintain MHC diversity in the loggerhead turtles, with relatively high polymorphism for an endangered species.
Prepackaged central line kits reduce procedural mistakes during central line insertion: a randomized controlled prospective trial
Authors: Fenik Yelena , Celebi Nora , Wagner Robert , Nikendei Christoph , Lund Frederike , Zipfel Stephan , Riessen Reimer , Weyrich Peter
Published: April 2013

Background

Central line catheter insertion is a complex procedure with a high cognitive load for novices. Providing a prepackaged all-inclusive kit is a simple measure that may reduce the cognitive load. We assessed whether the use of prepackaged all-inclusive central line insertion kits reduces procedural mistakes during central line catheter insertion by novices.

Methods

Thirty final year medical students and recently qualified physicians were randomized into two equal groups. One group used a prepackaged all-inclusive kit and the other used a standard kit containing only the central vein catheter and all other separately packaged components provided in a materials cart. The procedure was videotaped and analyzed by two blinded raters using a checklist. Both groups performed central line catheter insertion on a manikin, assisted by nursing students.

Results

The prepackaged kit group outperformed the standard kit group in four of the five quality indicators: procedure duration (26:26 ± 3:50 min vs. 31:27 ± 5:57 min, p = .01); major technical mistakes (3.1 ± 1.4 vs. 4.8 ± 2.6, p = .03); minor technical mistakes (5.2 ± 1.7 vs. 8.0 ± 3.2, p = .01); and correct steps (83 ± 5% vs. 75 ± 11%, p = .02). The difference for breaches of aseptic technique (1.2 ± 0.8 vs. 3.0 ± 3.6, p = .06) was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Prepackaged all-inclusive kits for novices improved the procedure quality and saved staff time resources in a controlled simulation environment. Future studies are needed to address whether central line kits also improve patient safety in hospital settings.
Averaging of the 3D non-autonomous Benjamin-Bona-Mahony equation with singularly oscillating forces
Authors: Zhao Mingxia , Yang Xinguang , Zhang Lingrui
Published: April 2013

For

ε
∈
(
0
,
1
)

, we investigate the convergence of corresponding uniform attractors of the 3D non-autonomous Benjamin-Bona-Mahony equation with singularly oscillating force contrast with the averaged Benjamin-Bona-Mahony equation (corresponding to the limiting case

ε
=
0

). Under suitable assumptions on the external force, we shall obtain the uniform boundedness and convergence of the related uniform attractors as

ε
→

0
+

.

MSC:35B40, 35Q99, 80A22.
Automatic segmentation of male pelvic anatomy on computed tomography images: a comparison with multiple observers in the context of a multicentre clinical trial
Authors: Geraghty John P , Grogan Garry , Ebert Martin A
Published: April 2013

Background

This study investigates the variation in segmentation of several pelvic anatomical structures on computed tomography (CT) between multiple observers and a commercial automatic segmentation method, in the context of quality assurance and evaluation during a multicentre clinical trial.

Methods

CT scans of two prostate cancer patients (‘benchmarking cases’), one high risk (HR) and one intermediate risk (IR), were sent to multiple radiotherapy centres for segmentation of prostate, rectum and bladder structures according to the TROG 03.04 “RADAR” trial protocol definitions. The same structures were automatically segmented using iPlan software for the same two patients, allowing structures defined by automatic segmentation to be quantitatively compared with those defined by multiple observers. A sample of twenty trial patient datasets were also used to automatically generate anatomical structures for quantitative comparison with structures defined by individual observers for the same datasets.

Results

There was considerable agreement amongst all observers and automatic segmentation of the benchmarking cases for bladder (mean spatial variations < 0.4 cm across the majority of image slices). Although there was some variation in interpretation of the superior-inferior (cranio-caudal) extent of rectum, human-observer contours were typically within a mean 0.6 cm of automatically-defined contours. Prostate structures were more consistent for the HR case than the IR case with all human observers segmenting a prostate with considerably more volume (mean +113.3%) than that automatically segmented. Similar results were seen across the twenty sample datasets, with disagreement between iPlan and observers dominant at the prostatic apex and superior part of the rectum, which is consistent with observations made during quality assurance reviews during the trial.

Conclusions

This study has demonstrated quantitative analysis for comparison of multi-observer segmentation studies. For automatic segmentation algorithms based on image-registration as in iPlan, it is apparent that agreement between observer and automatic segmentation will be a function of patient-specific image characteristics, particularly for anatomy with poor contrast definition. For this reason, it is suggested that automatic registration based on transformation of a single reference dataset adds a significant systematic bias to the resulting volumes and their use in the context of a multicentre trial should be carefully considered.
Obesity and statins are both independent predictors of enhanced coronary arteriolar dilation in patients undergoing heart surgery
Authors: Cassuto James , Feher Attila , Lan Ling , Patel Vijay S , Kamath Vinayak , Anthony Daniel C , Bagi Zsolt
Published: April 2013

Background

A paradoxical inverse relationship between body mass index, morbidity and mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease has been noted; but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Given that coronary resistance arteries are the primary regulators of myocardial blood flow, we examined the effects of obesity and medication on dilator function in coronary microvessels.

Methods

Bradykinin-induced coronary dilation was assessed by videomicroscopy in ex vivo coronary arterioles obtained from 64 consecutive patients undergoing heart surgery. Multi-variable linear regression and logistic regression were used to investigate the effects of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/M2) and the influences of medications on vessel responses.

Results

In isolated, pressurized (80 mmHg) coronary arterioles of obese and non-obese patient the active (73±4 vs. 79±13 μm) and passive (111 ± 5.5 vs. 118 ± 5.0 μm) diameters were similar. Bradykinin elicited substantial dilation in coronary arterioles, with a similar magnitude in obese and non-obese patients (to 10-8 M: 55 ± 5% vs. 46 ± 5%, P = 0.20), but with significantly enhanced sensitivity in obesity (EC50: 8.2x10-9 M vs. 1.9x10-8 M, respectively, P = 0.03). When adjusted for other risk factors and medications, obesity and statins were determined to be the only positive predictors of enhanced dilation, as assessed with multiple regression analysis. Moreover, obese patients with or without statin exhibited significantly increased coronary dilation to bradykinin, when compared to non-obese patients without statin therapy.

Conclusions

Obesity and statin therapy are independently associated with an enhanced dilator function of coronary arterioles in patients undergoing heart surgery, which may offer a potential mechanism for the better cardiovascular outcome described earlier as the obesity paradox.
Safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of remogliflozin etabonate, a novel SGLT2 inhibitor, and metformin when co-administered in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Hussey Elizabeth K , Kapur Anita , O’Connor-Semmes Robin , Tao Wenli , Rafferty Bryan , Polli Joseph W , James Charles D , Dobbins Robert L
Published: April 2013

Background

The sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) is expressed in absorptive epithelia of the renal tubules. Remogliflozin etabonate (RE) is the prodrug of remogliflozin, the active entity that inhibits SGLT2. An inhibitor of this pathway would enhance urinary glucose excretion (UGE), and potentially improve plasma glucose concentrations in diabetic patients. RE is intended for use for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as monotherapy and in combination with existing therapies. Metformin, a dimethylbiguanide, is an effective oral antihyperglycemic agent widely used for the treatment of T2DM.

Methods

This was a randomized, open-label, repeat-dose, two-sequence, cross-over study in 13 subjects with T2DM. Subjects were randomized to one of two treatment sequences in which they received either metformin alone, RE alone, or both over three, 3-day treatment periods separated by two non-treatment intervals of variable duration. On the evening before each treatment period, subjects were admitted and confined to the clinical site for the duration of the 3-day treatment period. Pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic (urine glucose and fasting plasma glucose), and safety (adverse events, vital signs, ECG, clinical laboratory parameters including lactic acid) assessments were performed at check-in and throughout the treatment periods. Pharmacokinetic sampling occurred on Day 3 of each treatment period.

Results

This study demonstrated the lack of effect of RE on steady state metformin pharmacokinetics. Metformin did not affect the AUC of RE, remogliflozin, or its active metabolite, GSK279782, although Cmax values were slightly lower for remogliflozin and its metabolite after co-administration with metformin compared with administration of RE alone. Metformin did not alter the pharmacodynamic effects (UGE) of RE. Concomitant administration of metformin and RE was well tolerated with minimal hypoglycemia, no serious adverse events, and no increase in lactic acid.

Conclusions

Coadministration of metformin and RE was well tolerated in this study. The results support continued development of RE as a treatment for T2DM.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00376038
Bioequivalance and pharmacokinetic study of febuxostat in human plasma by using LC-MS/MS with liquid liquid extraction method
Authors: Chandu Babu Rao , Kanala Kanchanamala , Hwisa Nagiat T , Katakam Prakash , Khagga Mukkanti
Published: April 2013

A bioequivalence study was proved of generic Febuxostat 80 mg tablets (T) in healthy volunteers.For this purpose, Authors developed a simple, sensitive, selective, rapid, rugged and reproducible liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantification of Febuxostat (FB) in human plasma using Febuxostat D7 (FBD7) as an internal standard (IS) was used. Chromatographic separation was performed on Ascentis Express C18 (50x4.6 mm, 3.5 μ) column. Mobile phase composed of 10 mM Ammonium formate: Acetonitrile (20:80 v/v), with 0.8 mL/min flow-rate. Drug and IS were extracted by Liquid- liquid extraction. FB and FBD7 were detected with proton adducts at m/z 317.1→261.1 and 324.2→262.1 in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) positive mode respectively. The method was validated with the correlation coefficients of (r2) ≥ 0.9850 over a linear concentration range of 1.00-8000.00 ng/mL. This method demonstrated intra and inter-day precision within 2.64 to 3.88 and 2.76 to 8.44% and accuracy within 97.33 to 99.05 and 100.30 to 103.19% for FB. This method is successfully applied in the Bioequivalence study of 9 human volunteers.
Safety and efficacy of intravenous infusion of allogeneic cryopreserved mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of chronic kidney disease in cats: results of three sequential pilot studies
Authors: Quimby Jessica M , Webb Tracy L , Habenicht Lauren M , Dow Steven W
Published: April 2013

Introduction

Administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been shown to improve renal function in rodent models of chronic kidney disease (CKD), in part by reducing intrarenal inflammation and suppressing fibrosis. CKD in cats is characterized by tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis, and thus treatment with MSCs might improve renal function and urinary markers of inflammation in this disease. Therefore, a series of pilot studies was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of intravenous administration of allogeneic adipose-derived MSCs (aMSCs) in cats with naturally occurring CKD.

Methods

Cats enrolled in these studies received an intravenous infusion of allogeneic aMSCs every 2 weeks collected from healthy, young, specific pathogen-free cats. Cats in pilot study 1 (six cats) received 2 × 106 cryopreserved aMSCs per infusion, cats in pilot study 2 (five cats) received 4 × 106 cryopreserved aMSCs per infusion, and cats in pilot study 3 (five cats) received 4 × 106 aMSCs cultured from cryopreserved adipose. Serum biochemistry, complete blood count, urinalysis, urine protein, glomerular filtration rate, and urinary cytokine concentrations were monitored during the treatment period. Changes in clinical parameters were compared statistically by means of repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni’s correction.

Results

Cats in pilot study 1 had few adverse effects from the aMSC infusions and there was a statistically significant decrease in serum creatinine concentrations during the study period, however the degree of decrease seems unlikely to be clinically relevant. Adverse effects of the aMSC infusion in cats in pilot study 2 included vomiting (2/5 cats) during infusion and increased respiratory rate and effort (4/5 cats). Cats in pilot study 3 did not experience any adverse side effects. Serum creatinine concentrations and glomerular filtration rates did not change significantly in cats in pilot studies 2 and 3.

Conclusions

Administration of cryopreserved aMSCs was associated with significant adverse effects and no discernible clinically relevant improvement in renal functional parameters. Administration of aMSCs cultured from cryopreserved adipose was not associated with adverse effects, but was also not associated with improvement in renal functional parameters.
The characteristic expression pattern of BMI-1 and SALL4 genes in placenta tissue and cord blood
Authors: Chen Shaohua , Liu Sichu , Xu Ling , Yang Lijian , Jin Zhenyi , Ma Yu , Li Bo , Wu Xiuli , Yang Jianchang , Ma Yupo , Li Yangqiu
Published: April 2013

Introduction

SALL4 and BMI-1 are important factors in hematopoiesis. Placental tissue (PT) and umbilical cord blood (CB) are rich in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSCs/HPCs), but their SALL4 and BMI-1 expression levels remain unknown.

Methods

Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression level of these genes in PT and CB from ten cases, and ten healthy donors were used as controls.

Results

A significantly higher BMI-1 and SALL4 gene expression level was found in PT (median: 17.548 and 34.362, respectively) than in cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs) (median: 2.071 and 11.300, respectively) (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.007) and healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (median: 0.259 and 0.384, respectively) (P = 0.001 and P <0.0001), and their expression level was lower in PBMCs than in CBMCs (P = 0.029 and P = 0.002). A positive correlation between the BMI-1 and SALL4 genes was found in the PT and CB groups, while there was no significant correlation between these genes in the healthy group. There was also no significant correlation between the expression level of each gene in PT and CB.

Conclusions

These results describe the characteristic features of the BMI-1 and SALL4 gene expression pattern in placental tissue and cord blood. Placental tissue with higher expression level of both genes may be considered as a potential resource for SALL4-related HPC expansion.
Editorial: Early and late endothelial progenitor cells are miR-tually exclusive
Authors: Yoder Mervin C
Published: April 2013

Discussion on the hematopoietic and endothelial cell types that comprise early and late endothelial progenitor cells.