bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiation Therapy for Dialysis Access Stenosis: Unfulfilled Promise or False Expectations
Authors: Ahmed Syed , Roy‐Chaudhury Prabir
Published: January 2012

Hemodialysis vascular access dysfunction is a major cause of morbidity and hospitalization in the hemodialysis population at a cost of well over $1 billion per annum. Venous stenosis (due to venous neointimal hyperplasia [VNH]) is the most common cause of polytetrafluroethylene PTFE) dialysis access graft and arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure. Despite the magnitude of the clinical problem, however, there are currently no effective therapies for this condition. We and others have previously demonstrated that VNH in PTFE dialysis grafts and AVF is composed of smooth muscle cells/myofibroblasts, endothelial cells within neointimal microvessels, and peri‐graft macrophages. Radiation therapy blocks the proliferation and activation of all these cell types. The current review will dissect out the available in vitro, experimental, and clinical data on the use of radiation therapy for vascular stenosis in general, and for dialysis access dysfunction in particular. It is important to try and identify whether there is still a role for radiation therapy in this specific clinical setting. We believe that this is a critically important question to answer in view of the huge unmet clinical need that is currently associated with hemodialysis vascular access dysfunction.
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange for Renal‐Related Conditions in the Elderly: Ten Years Experience in One Center
Authors: Hayes John S. , Balogun Rasheed A. , Chang Jamison , Abdel Rahman Emaad M.
Published: January 2012

The elderly people, 65 years old and above, are growing in number. The structural and functional changes associated with aging place the elderly at risk when challenged by extracorporeal therapies, such as therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). We retrospectively analyzed data on all patients who underwent TPE for renal indications at our institution between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2010 and compared renal indications and mortality associated with the use of TPE in older versus younger patients. During this period, 621 patients underwent 4722 sessions of TPE. Of them, 191 patients were elderly (30.7%) and they underwent 1289 sessions (27.3%) of TPE. A total of 104 patients (16.7%) underwent 593 sessions of TPE because of renal‐related indications: 26 patients in the elderly group and 78 in the younger. Side effects of dyspnea and hypotension were documented in only two patients, both in the elderly cohort. The main indication for TPE in the elderly was glomerulonephritis (GN) as compared with renal allograft rejection in the younger cohort, with a trend toward more death in the elderly (p = 0.07). The multivariable regression model which included age as a category, serum albumin, and initial serum creatinine were unable to predict mortality in this group of patients. In our experience, the main renal indications for TPE in elderly are different from those for younger patients, with GN being the most common renal indication in the elderly. The TPE used for renal indications in the elderly is relatively safe. Trends toward death in the elderly may be multifactorial and not necessarily related to TPE.
Listening to and Learning from Older Adult Hurricane Katrina Survivors
Authors: Langan Joanne C. , Palmer Janice L.
Published: January 2012

Objective

The objective of this pilot study was to explore how Hurricane Katrina affected older adult disaster survivors.

Design and Sample

Participants for this descriptive exploratory pilot study were recruited from churches and senior centers on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Of the 224 participants, one hundred provided additional comments at the end of a forced‐response questionnaire.

Measures

Manifest content analysis was used to examine the participants’ comments by identifying, coding, and categorizing their responses to the open‐ended question. The codes were based on conditions and behaviors that might be exhibited by disaster victims.

Results

Themed categories were losses and needs, giving advice, justification for continuing to live in this disaster‐prone region, deterrents and facilitators of home evacuation, spirituality and faith, manageability, bereavement, grief, anger, and natural debriefing.

Conclusion

The strongest message of these survivors was the need to be heard by public health nurses, other public health officials preparing for disasters, and those in positions to render aid.
Qualitative Exploration of the Acceptability of a Mobile Phone and Pedometer‐Based Physical Activity Program in a Diverse Sample of Sedentary Women
Authors: Fukuoka Yoshimi , Lindgren Teri , Jong Soson
Published: January 2012

Objectives

The objectives of this paper were to explore the acceptability of components of a mobile phone/pedometer‐based physical activity program and to understand motivators and barriers to increase physical activity in a diverse sample of sedentary women.

Design and Sample

Face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews were conducted following a 3‐week pilot mobile phone/pedometer‐based physical activity intervention. Forty‐one sedentary women participated in the study.

Measures

Subjects were interviewed using a semi‐structured interview guide. A qualitative description method was used to thematically analyze the interviews. Two investigators reviewed the transcripts independently and identified codes based on the main concerns in the interview questions.

Results

Three themes emerged from qualitative data shedding light on the perceived acceptability and usefulness of a mobile phone/pedometer‐based intervention: (1) Monitor me: mobile phone/pedometer as self‐monitoring tools, (2) Motivate me: cycle of feedback in goal setting and usefulness/uselessness of daily random messages, (3) Mobilize me: engaging and adapting physical activity to fit one's own lifestyle.

Conclusion

Mobile phone and pedometer‐based physical activity programs might be helpful in keeping sedentary women engaged and motivated to increase their physical activity. A randomized controlled trial of this intervention is warranted.
Photodynamic Therapy in a Teenage Girl with Xeroderma Pigmentosum Type C
Authors: LARSON DAVID M. , CUNNINGHAM BARI B.
Published: January 2012

Abstract:  Despite aggressive sun protection, most individuals with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) develop cutaneous neoplasia, including actinic keratoses. We describe the case of a 16‐year‐old girl with XP type C treated safely with photodynamic therapy (PDT). Although there is little if any evidence in the literature supporting the use of aminolevulinic acid PDT in individuals with XP, they may be the ideal candidates for PDT treatment because the profound post‐treatment photosensitivity and strict post‐therapy sun avoidance necessitated by PDT treatment is already part of the everyday lifestyle of people with XP.
Malignant Blue Nevus Arising in a Giant Congenital Cellular Blue Nevus in an Infant
Authors: Nakamura Yasuhiro , Shibata‐Ito Michiko , Nakamura Yoshiyuki , Ishitsuka Yosuke , Fujisawa Yasuhiro , Kawachi Yasuhiro , Otsuka Fujio
Published: January 2012

Abstract:  Giant congenital blue nevus (GCBN) is rare and usually occurs on the scalp. Malignant blue nevus (MBN) is also rare and has a poor prognosis. We report a case of MBN arising in a GCBN on the back. There have been three previous reports of MBN associated with GCBN on the trunk; our case had the earliest onset of MBN arising in a GCBN.
Febrile Ulceronecrotic Mucha‐Habermann Disease with Central Nervous System Vasculitis
Authors: Rosman Ilana S. , Liang Ling‐Chih , Patil Sushama , Bayliss Susan J. , White Andrew J.
Published: January 2012

Abstract:  Febrile ulceronecrotic Mucha‐Habermann disease (FUMHD) is a severe variant of pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta (PLEVA). We report a case of FUMHD in an 11‐year‐old boy who subsequently developed neurologic symptoms and was found to have necrotizing vasculitis on brain biopsy. Over 5 years of follow‐up, he had one biopsy‐proven recurrence of his skin lesions and continued rehabilitation and treatment for residual neurologic complications. This case provides histological evidence of central nervous system vasculitis associated with FUMHD. Our patient’s disease was eventually controlled with cyclophosphamide.
Fatal Paraneoplastic Pemphigus After Removal of Castleman’s Disease in a Child
Authors: Daneshpazhooh Maryam , Moeineddin Fatemeh , Kiani Amin , Naraghi Zahra S. , Firooz Alireza , Akhyani Maryam , Chams‐Davatchi Cheyda
Published: January 2012

Abstract:  Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is seen most frequently in the setting of Castleman’s disease (CD) in childhood. We report herein a 10‐year‐old girl with PNP appearing a few weeks after resection of a recurrent CD. Despite improvement in skin and mucosal lesions with prednisolone and azathioprine, she had severe bronchiolitis obliterans and died from respiratory failure a few months later.
Acral Milia‐Like Idiopathic Calcinosis Cutis in a Child with Down Syndrome: Report of a Case, Review of the Literature, and Description of Dermoscopic Findings
Authors: Fox Gary N. , Mehregan David A. , Jablonowski Marla N.
Published: January 2012

Abstract:  Milia‐like idiopathic calcinosis cutis (MICC) is a rare dermopathy, usually occurring in children with Down syndrome. We report a case of an 8‐year‐old girl with Down syndrome who presented with histologically verified MICC, briefly review the literature on MICC, discuss the differential diagnosis, and describe the use of dermoscopy in the evaluation of lesions, which we believe has never been published previously with this entity.
Reevaluating the Implications of Recurrent Falls in Older Adults: Location Changes the Inference
Authors: Kelsey Jennifer L. , Procter‐Gray Elizabeth , Berry Sarah D. , Hannan Marian T. , Kiel Douglas P. , Lipsitz Lewis A. , Li Wenjun
Published: January 2012

Objectives

To compare characteristics of indoor and outdoor recurrent fallers and explore some implications for clinical practice, in which a fall risk assessment for all recurrent fallers has been recommended.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly of Boston Study, a study of falls etiology in community‐dwelling older individuals from randomly sampled households in the Boston, Massachusetts, area.

Participants

Seven hundred thirteen women and men, mostly aged 70 and older, with at least 1 year of follow‐up.

Measurements

Data at baseline and from an 18‐month follow‐up examination were collected by questionnaire and comprehensive clinic examination. During follow‐up, participants recorded falls on daily calendars. A telephone interview queried location and circumstances of each fall.

Results

One hundred forty‐five participants reported recurrent falls (≥2) during the first year. Those who had fallen only outdoors had good health characteristics, whereas those who had fallen only indoors were generally in poor health. For instance, 25.5% of indoor‐only recurrent fallers had gait speeds of slower than 0.6 m/s, compared with 2.9% of outdoor‐only recurrent fallers; the respective percentages were 44.7% and 8.8% for Berg balance score less than 48. Recurrent indoor fallers generally had poor health characteristics regardless of their activity at the time of their falls, whereas recurrent outdoor fallers who fell during vigorous activity or walking were especially healthy. A report of any recurrent falls in the first year did not predict number of positive findings on a comprehensive or abbreviated fall risk assessment at the 18‐month follow‐up examination.

Conclusion

Characteristics of community‐dwelling older people with recurrent indoor and outdoor falls are different. If confirmed, these results suggest that different types of fall risk assessment are needed for specific categories of recurrent fallers.
The Arab Spring and the Chinese Autumn
Authors: YU HUA
Published: January 2012

For 500 years the West was on the rise, culminating in Globalizaiton 1.0—the open system of trade, information flows and the spread of technology on the terms and in the image of the West. The benefits of that system over the last 30 years have led to the rise of the emerging economies. As a result we are entering the new era of Globalization 2.0 characterized by new forms of non‐Western modernity and the interdependence of plural identities. The advent of this new era has been hastened by the fiscal and financial crisis in Europe and the United States.

Turkey, with its Islamic‐oriented democracy that has become a template for the liberated peoples of the Arab Spring, and China, with its effective neo‐Confucian form of governance, are the most sharply defined new players in this multi‐polar and multi‐dimensional world.

In this section, one of Turkey's most insightful sociologists examines the post‐secular transformation of that nation. One of China's more provocative philosophers proposes a hybrid model that combines what has been learned from the experience of Western and Chinese governance in a way that “enhances democracy” in both systems.
Measuring New Public Management and Governance in Political Debate
Authors: Fattore Giovanni , Dubois Hans F. W. , Lapenta Antonio
Published: January 2012

New Public Management (NPM) recently has been compared and contrasted with public governance (PG) to illustrate shifts in conceptions of public administrations and in reform agendas. The authors develop measures to capture the relevance of NPM and PG in textual discourse and investigate the extent to which they have entered the political debate. Content analysis of electoral programs for the 2005 Italian regional elections reveals that even in this legalistic country, considerable attention was paid to both NPM and PG issues. An important explanatory variable in preference for NPM or PG is party ideology, highlighting often‐ignored within‐country dynamics. Furthermore, the authors show how a methodological approach adapted from mainly political science and business research can be exploited in the field of public administration.
Reappraisal of the Traditional Wenckebach Phenomenon with a Modified Ladder Diagram
Authors: Barold S. Serge , Stroobandt Roland X. , Sinnaeve Alfons F. , Andries E. , Herweg Bengt
Published: January 2012

Understanding of the traditional Wenckebach phenomenon is enhanced by using a modified ladder diagram where AV conduction in any cycle is represented by a slanted line in the AV bar together with similar AV conduction lines of all the preceding cycles. The diagram facilitates calculation of the duration of RR intervals (equal to the basic PP or sinus interval minus the PR or AV increment applied to this particular cycle) and the duration of the pause (equal to 2 × PP or sinus interval minus the sum of all the increments applied to the AV delay). The modified Wenckebach diagram should help students understand the mysterious clustering of QRS complexes or “paradoxical” increase of the ventricular rate that occurs during a Wenckebach sequence.

Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2012;17(1):3–7
Myocardial 123I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine Washout and Heart Rate Variability in Asymptomatic Subjects
Authors: Simula Sakari , Vanninen Esko , Hedman Antti , Lehto Seppo , Kuikka Jyrki , Hartikainen Juha
Published: January 2012

Background: Myocardial 123I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) kinetics reflect the integrity and function of cardiac presynaptic sympathetic nerve terminals. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an indicator of cardiac sympatho‐vagal balance. However, the function of cardiac sympathetic nerve terminals as a modulator of HRV in asymptomatic subjects has remained elusive. In addition, the physiological background for different components of HRV is not fully established.

Methods: We evaluated the relationship between myocardial MIBG washout and HRV in 30 asymptomatic subjects with familial risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Early and delayed myocardial MIBG uptakes as well as MIBG washout between these two scans were assessed. Myocardial perfusion at rest and during bicycle exercise was evaluated with 99mTc‐sestamibi (MIBI). HRV was measured from 24‐hour ambulatory ECG recordings.

Results: Myocardial MIBG washout averaged 40 ± 8%. The mean heart rate at rest was 76 ± 14 beats/min. Standard deviation of all normal RR intervals (SDNN) was 94 ± 22 ms and very low frequency (VLF) was 1625 ± 958 ms2 on average. Myocardial MIBG washout correlated inversely with SDNN (r =−0.390; P < 0.05) and with VLF (r =−0.459; P < 0.01) component of HRV but not with heart rate at rest (r = 0.207, P = ns). All subjects had normal myocardial perfusion at rest and during exercise.

Conclusions: Increased cardiac presynaptic sympathetic nervous activity was related to reduced HRV in subjects with the risk of CAD but without evidence of myocardial ischemia or previous myocardial infarction. In addition, we found that VLF component of HRV includes information about sympathetic neural modulation of the heart rate.

Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2012;17(1):8–13
Effectiveness of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Diabetic Patients with Ischemic and Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: George Jenie , Barsheshet Alon , Moss Arthur J. , Martin David , Ouellet Gregory , McNitt Scott , Goldenberg Ilan
Published: January 2012

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the risk for the development of both ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy. We aimed to identify differences in response to cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator (CRT‐D) among DM patients with ischemic or nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

Methods: Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was used to assess clinical response to CRT‐D (defined as CRT‐D vs. defibrillator‐only reduction in the risk of heart failure [HF] or death) and echocardiographic response (defined as percent reduction in left ventricular end diastolic and systolic volume [LVEDV and LVESV, respectively] at 12 month of follow‐up compared with baseline values) among 552 diabetic patients with ischemic (n = 367) or nonischemic (n = 185) cardiomyopathy enrolled in MADIT‐CRT.

Results: The clinical benefit of CRT‐D was more pronounced among nonischemic patients (HR = 0.30 [P < 0.001] than among ischemic patients (HR = 0.59 [P = 0.004]; P for interaction = 0.10). Nonischemic patients also experienced significantly greater reductions in LVESV and LVEDV at 12 months with CRT‐D compared with ischemic patients (P < 0.001 for both). Subgroup analysis showed that the most pronounced reduction in HF or death with CRT‐D therapy occurred in nonischemic patients who were women (83% risk‐reduction [P < 0.001]), had a lower BMI (<30/kg/m2: 79% risk‐reduction [P < 0.001]), or had left bundle branch block at enrollment (82% risk‐reduction [P < 0.001]).

Conclusions: The present study shows that treatment with CRT‐D in at‐risk cardiac patients with DM is associated with substantial reductions in the risk of HF or death and improvement in cardiac remodeling in those with ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy, with a more pronounced benefit in patients with nonischemic disease.

Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2012;17(1):14–21
Atrial Burst Pacing with Biphasic and Monophasic Waveforms for Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Barsheshet Alon , Wakslak Menachem , Mower Morton M. , Goldenberg Ilan , Hall Burr
Published: January 2012

Background: Biphasic pacing is a novel mode of pacing that was suggested to increase cardiac conduction velocity as compared with cathodal monophasic pacing. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rapid atrial pacing to convert atrial fibrillation (AF) to normal sinus rhythm.

Methods: Multiple biphasic (anodal/cathodal), reverse biphasic (cathodal/anodal), and monophasic (cathodal) atrial pacing therapies were performed among 12 patients undergoing left atrial catheter ablation for AF. The efficacy end point was successful conversion of AF to sinus rhythm, and safety end point no induction of ventricular arrhythmias. Patients were paced at three cycle lengths (100, 200, and 333 msec) for 60 seconds at three locations (right and left atrial appendages and coronary sinus).

Results: Among the 66 biphasic (anodal/cathodal) pacing procedures one procedure in a patient with chronic AF, which involved pacing at the left atrial appendage with a cycle length of 200 msec, led to conversion of AF to sinus rhythm.

None of the 66 monophasic pacing procedures or the 66 reverse biphasic (cathodal/anodal) pacing procedures was associated with AF termination. None of the biphasic pacing procedures was associated with induction of ventricular arrhythmias.

Conclusions: Rapid atrial pacing using a variety of waveforms at the cycle length and output used in the current study was found to be safe. There was a single success in converting a chronic AF to sinus rhythm.

Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2012;17(1):22–27
Electrocardiogram from a Young Trained Athlete
Authors: Capulzini Lucio , Sorgente Antonio , Brugada Pedro
Published: January 2012

Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2012;17(1):57
Surviving Ventricular Standstill for 111 Seconds during Holter Monitoring
Authors: Sidhu Maninder , Singh H.P. , Chopra Arun K. , Kapila Deepak , Sidhu Shailpreet
Published: January 2012

Holter electrocardiogram recording revealed symptomatic prolonged ventricular standstill lasting for about two minutes which terminated without any external cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2012;17(1):61–62
ISHNE/EHRA Expert Consensus on Remote Monitoring of Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs)
Authors: Dubner Sergio , Auricchio Angelo , Steinberg Jonathan S. , Vardas Panos , Stone Peter , Brugada Josep , Piotrowicz Ryszard , Hayes David L. , Kirchhof Paulus , Breithardt Günter , Zareba Wojciech , Schuger Claudio , Aktas Mehmet K. , Chudzik Michal , Mittal Suneet , Varma Niraj
Published: January 2012

We are in the midst of a rapidly evolving era of technology‐assisted medicine. The field of telemedicine provides the opportunity for highly individualized medical management in a way that has never been possible before. Evolving medical technologies using cardiac implantable devices with capabilities for remote monitoring permit evaluation of multiple parameters of cardiovascular physiology and risk, including cardiac rhythm, device function, blood pressure values, the presence of myocardial ischaemia, and the degree of compensation of congestive heart failure. Cardiac risk, device status, and response to therapies can now be assessed with these electronic systems of detection and reporting. This document reflects the extensive experience from investigators and innovators around the world who are shaping the evolution of this rapidly expanding field, focusing in particular on implantable pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, devices for cardiac resynchronization therapy (both with and without defibrillation properties), loop recorders, and hemodynamic monitoring devices. This document covers the basic methodologies, guidelines for their use, experience with existing applications, and the legal and reimbursement aspects associated with their use. To adequately cover this important emerging topic, the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology and the European Heart Rhythm Association combined their expertise in this field. We hope that the development of this field can contribute to improve care of our cardiovascular patients.

Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2012;17(1):36–56
RETRACTED: Ultrastructural study by backscattered electron imaging and elemental microanalysis of bone‐to‐biomaterial interface and mineral degradation of porcine xenografts used in maxillary sinus floor elevation
Authors: Ramírez‐Fernández Maria Piedad , Calvo‐Guirado Jose Luis , Maté‐Sánchez del Val Jose Eduardo , Delgado‐Ruiz Rafael Arcesio , Negri Bruno , Barona‐Dorado Cristina
Published: January 2012

Objectives

The aim of this study was to carry out an ultrastructural study of the biomaterial‐to‐bone interface and biomaterial mineral degradation in retrieved bone biopsies following maxillary sinus augmentation using collagenized porcine xenografts (Osteobiol® Mp3) in 15 clinical cases.

Materials and methods

Nine months after sinus lifting, bone cores were harvested from the maxillary sinus. The specimens were processed for observation under a scanning electron microscope with backscattered electron imaging (SEM‐BSE). In addition, chemical analysis and elemental mapping of the mineral composition were generated using a microanalytical system based on energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectrometry (EDX).

Results

No clinical complications were evident during surgery. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that newly formed bone had become closely attached to the xenograft. Statistical analysis showed a significantly high Ca/P ratio in the biomaterial (2.46 ± 0.16) and at the bone interface (2.00 ± 0.48) compared to bone (1.97 ± 0.36), which suggests that there may be a gradual diffusion of Ca ions from the biomaterial into the newly forming bone at the interface as part of the biomaterial's resorption process. EDX analysis of the residual porcine biomaterial at different points showed some particle categories with different mean ratios of Ca/P according to size, pointing to different stages of the resorption process.

Conclusions

The biomaterial proved to be biocompatible, bioreabsorbable and osteoconductive when used as a bone substitute for maxillary sinus elevation. SEM‐BSE revealed that newly formed bone had become closely attached to the xenografts. EDX analysis monitored the resorption process of the porcine bone xenograft. Elemental mapping showed that there was a gradual diffusion of Ca ions from the biomaterial to the newly forming bone at the interface.
Effects of nicotine on guided bone augmentation in rat calvarium
Authors: Saito Yuka , Sato Shuichi , Oginuma Tsuyoshi , Saito Yuichi , Arai Yoshinori , Ito Koichi
Published: January 2012

Objective

A limited number of experimental animal studies and in vitro studies have confirmed that nicotine impairs bone healing, diminishes osteoblast function, causes autogenous bone graft morbidity, and decreases graft biomechanical properties. The aim of this study was the histomrphometric assessment of the effect of nicotine on guided bone augmentation in a rat model.

Material and methods

Twenty‐four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a nicotine group and a control group. All animals received either nicotine (3 mg/kg) or saline 4 weeks before the surgical procedure and continued to receive nicotine or saline from surgery until death at 12 weeks. Two plastic caps were placed in the exposed calvaria of rats. Images of bone augmentation within the plastic caps were then taken using microfocus computed tomography (micro‐CT). Histological sections were cut along the same plane as that used for micro‐CT images.

Results

Bone augmentation beyond the skeletal envelope occurred in both the nicotine and control groups. However, the nicotine group showed significantly smaller increases in bone volume and bone height than the controls.

Conclusion

Nicotine jeopardized, but did not prevent, the process of guided bone augmentation in a rat model.
Towards a functional basis for predicting vegetation patterns; incorporating plant traits in habitat distribution models
Authors: Douma Jacob C. , Witte Jan‐Philip M. , Aerts Rien , Bartholomeus Ruud P. , Ordoñez Jenny C. , Venterink Harry Olde , Wassen Martin J. , van Bodegom Peter M.
Published: January 2012

Reliably predicting vegetation distribution requires habitat distribution models (HDMs) that are ecologically sound. Current correlative HDMs are increasingly criticized because they lack sufficient functional basis. To include functional information into these models, we integrated two concepts from community ecology into a new type of HDM. We incorporated: 1) species selection by their traits in which only those species that pass the environmental filter can be part of the community (assembly theory); 2) that the occurrence probability of a community is determined by the extent to which the community mean traits fit the required traits as set by the environment. In this paper, our trait‐based HDM is presented and its predictive capacity explored.

Our approach consists of two steps. In step 1, four plant traits (stem‐specific density and indicator values for nutrients, moisture and acidity) are predicted from four dominant environmental drivers (disturbance, nutrient supply, moisture supply and acidity) using regression. In step 2, these traits are used to predict the occurrence probability of 13 vegetation types, covering the majority of vegetation types across the Netherlands. The model was validated by comparison to the observed vegetation type for 263 plots in the Netherlands. Model performance was within the range of conventional HDMs and decreased with increasing uncertainty in the environment‐trait relationships and with an increasing number of vegetation types.

This study shows that including functionality into HDMs is not necessarily at the cost of model performance, while it has several conceptual advantages among including an increased insight in the functional characteristics of the vegetation and sources of unpredictability in community assembly. As such it is a promising first step towards more functional HDMs. Further development of a trait‐based HDM hinges on replacing indicator values by truly functional traits and the translation of these relationships into mechanistic relationships.
HIV in pregnancy: an international perspective
Authors: Byrne Laura , Fakoya Ade , Harding Kate
Published: January 2012

Key content:

The HIV epidemic continues to be a major challenge to global health.

Mother to child transmission accounts for 90% of HIV infections in childhood.

Transmission of HIV from mother to child is largely preventable.

The implementation of interventions to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV has been successful in the developed world.

Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in the developing world is limited by resources, lack of infrastructure and stigma.

Objectives:

To outline the interventions that have been shown to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV in both the developed and developing worlds.

To discuss the challenges in the prevention of mother to child transmission faced by the international community.

Ethical issues:

Should we take cost into account when writing guidelines for preventing mother to child transmission of HIV in resource‐poor settings?
Retracted: Magnetic resonance imaging of uterine abnormalities
Authors: Moyle Penelope , Mannelli Lorenzo , Shafi Mahmood , Sala Evis
Published: January 2012

Key content

Congenital uterine abnormalities are a diverse and complex group of conditions which can cause anxiety and psychological distress because of infertility or issues with sexual identity.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most accurate technique for the study of the anatomy of the female pelvis and the method of choice for evaluation of congenital uterine anomalies.

MRI allows detailed anatomical mapping which is paramount in understanding patient management and for the planning of any surgical procedure aimed at re‐establishing normal anatomy and/or fertility in these challenging cases.

Learning objectives

To learn about the optimal MRI techniques for assessing congenital uterine anomalies.

To recognise the specific MRI characteristics of a wide range of congenital uterine anomalies, including müllerian duct abnormalities, vaginal septa, hermaphroditism and complete androgen insensitivity syndrome.

Ethical issues

Should surgery be performed on infants with ambiguous genitalia?

What are people's attitudes generally about intersexuality?

Can non‐disclosure to a patient of their intersex condition be justified?
Vitrification of oocytes
Authors: Wood Maureen J
Published: January 2012

Key content

Vitrified oocytes can retain a capacity for fertilisation and development which is similar to that of non‐cryopreserved sibling oocytes.

More than 450 births have resulted from assisted conception with vitrified oocytes.

Controlled studies are required before the efficiency of vitrification can be fully assessed.

Aspects of methodology and safety still need to be resolved before vitrification is accepted unreservedly as part of conventional assisted conception.

Learning objectives

To understand what is meant by vitrification and how it is achieved in practice.

To learn about the advantages and drawbacks of oocyte vitrification.

To have an overview of the success of assisted conception with vitrified oocytes.

To appreciate where questions remain to be answered about the methodology, safety and clinical outcome of vitrification.

Ethical issues

Should assisted conception be offered with donor oocytes that have not undergone full quarantine similar to that required for donated sperm and embryos?
THE ROLE OF PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN FACILITATING SUPPLY CHAIN COMMUNICATIONS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Authors: GLIGOR DAVID M. , AUTRY CHAD W.
Published: January 2012

While the importance of communication between companies within the supply chain has been well established in the literature, a number of gaps remain pertaining to how individual‐level employee relationships influence firm‐to‐firm communications. One such gap in the literature represents the focus of the current study; little research has addressed the role of nonwork focused personal relationships (i.e., friendships) formed between employees of supply chain partner firms, and specifically how such relationships impact business‐related communication processes. Because research in this area is limited, and qualitative methods are considered most appropriate to assess emergent research phenomena, grounded theory building (Strauss and Corbin 1990) via semi‐structured interviews was undertaken. The results reveal that interpersonal relationships facilitate business communications through four emergent process themes. Our analysis thus allows us to develop initial theory related to how two different personal social network layers – personal relationships and interorganizational communications – relate within supply chain settings. Implications for future research are also considered.
PEEKING INSIDE THE BLACK BOX: TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF SUPPLY CHAIN COLLABORATION DYNAMICS
Authors: FAWCETT STANLEY E. , FAWCETT AMYDEE M. , WATSON BRADLEE J. , MAGNAN GREGORY M.
Published: January 2012

Supply chain collaboration is a vital dynamic capability — one that can deliver differential performance. Yet, few managers comprehend the nuanced complexities involved in assessing heterogeneously dispersed resources and bringing complimentary competencies together up and down the supply chain. As a result, gains from collaborative initiatives are often disappointing. Several literature streams including systems design, competency development (e.g., resource‐based view and relational view), and change management predict these outcomes. Building on insights from the literature, we sought to enrich theory of collaboration via inductive, interview‐driven research. Specifically, we conducted approximately 50 structured interviews at each of two points in time. Rigorous analysis of the interview firms' experience with collaborative initiatives provided insight into the motivations, resistors, enablers, and outcomes of collaboration. These insights form the foundation for a theoretical model to explain collaboration successes and failures as well as to provide prescriptions for using collaboration to achieve differential firm and supply chain performance.
Supply Chain‐Wide Consequences of Transaction Risks and Their Contractual Solutions: Towards an Extended Transaction Cost Economics Framework
Authors: Wever Mark , Wognum Petronella Maria , Trienekens Jacques H. , Omta Simon Willem Frederik
Published: January 2012

How supply chain actors manage their exposure to both supply‐ and demand‐side risks is a topic that has been insufficiently examined within the transaction cost economics (TCE) literature. TCE studies often only examine transaction risks in the context of bilateral exchanges. This study aims to contribute to a shift within the TCE literature from a focus on bilateral transactions, to examining transactions within a supply chain context. In this article, various models are constructed that examine how supply chain actors' usage of contracts to manage their exposure to supply (demand)‐side transaction risks can affect their exposure to demand (supply)‐side transaction risks. The models show that when supply chain actors follow the recommendations from the traditional TCE model regarding the use of contracts, it may increase rather than decrease their exposure to transaction risks. However, when supply chain actors take into account simultaneously both supply‐ and demand‐side transactions when making their contract decisions, as is recommended in this article, a reduction in exposure to transaction risks is more likely. This study offers managers’ various strategies for taking a supply chain‐wide approach to reduce transaction risk exposure.
Reference Prices as Determinants of Business‐to‐Business Price Negotiation Outcomes: An Empirical Perspective from the Chemical Industry
Authors: Moosmayer Dirk C. , Schuppar Bjoern , Siems Florian U.
Published: January 2012

Price negotiations in supply chain relationships often take place during annual pricing reviews. This study integrates transaction cost economics and reference price thinking from consumer behavior to understand better how a seller's reservation price, aspiration price, and initial price offering might influence the ultimate settlement price. We apply ridge regression to negotiation data from 282 business relationships of aGerman chemicals supplier with customers in six client industries. Overall, the three determinants explain 86 percent of the variation in the settlement price. A seller's reservation price is substantially less important than the aspiration price or the initial price offering. Although this outcome can be explained via a reference price perspective, transaction cost economics theory helps clarify the industry differences that determine the impact of reservation prices and initial price offerings on settlement prices.
Improvements and Corrections to AT123D Code
Authors: Burnell Daniel K. , Lester Barry H. , Mercer James W.
Published: January 2012

Although based on exact analytical solutions, semi‐analytical solute transport models can have significant numerical error in applications with high frequency oscillatory source terms and when parameter value combinations cause series solution approximations to converge slowly. Methods for correcting these numerical errors are presented and implemented in the AT123D code, which employs Green's functions to represent point, linear, and rectangular prismatic source zones. In order to increase its computational accuracy, a Romberg numerical integration scheme was added to AT123D with prespecified error criteria, variable time stepping, and partitioning of the integral to handle rapidly changing source terms. More rapidly converging series solution approximations for the Green's functions were also incorporated to improve both accuracy and computational efficiency for finite‐depth aquifers. AT123D also has been modified to eliminate redundant calculations at points where approximate steady‐state conditions have been reached to improve computational efficiency during numerical integration. These modifications help to decrease computer run times that can be excessive for three‐dimensional problems with large numbers of computational points, small time steps, and/or long simulation time periods. Errors in the original AT123D code also were corrected in this modified version, AT123D‐AT, in order to accurately simulate finite‐duration (pulse) source releases.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Antioxidant Properties of Novel 2‐[2‐(4‐chlorophenyl) benzimidazole‐1‐yl]‐N‐(2‐arylmethylene amino) acetamides and 2‐[2‐(4‐chlorophenyl) benzimidazole‐1‐yl]‐N‐(4‐oxo‐2‐aryl‐thiazolidine‐3‐yl) acetamides‐I
Authors: Ayhan‐Kılcıgil Gülgün , Gürkan Selen , Çoban Tülay , Özdamar Elçin Deniz , Can‐Eke Benay
Published: January 2012

Our approach was to synthesize and examine the antioxidant properties of some new 2‐[2‐(4‐chlorophenyl)benzimidazole‐1‐yl]‐N‐(2‐arylmethyleneamino) acetamide (1–18) and 2‐[2‐(4‐chlorophenyl)benzimidazole‐1‐yl]‐N‐(4‐oxo‐2‐aryl‐thiazolidine‐3‐yl)acetamide (1t–18t) derivatives. Their in vitro effects on rat liver microsomal NADPH‐dependent lipid peroxidation levels (LP assay) and microsomal ethoxyresorufin O‐deethylase activities (EROD assay) were determined. The free radical scavenging properties of the compounds were also examined in vitro determining the interaction of 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. The compounds showed significant effects in the above tests.
Primary immunodeficiency associated with defects in CD1 and CD1‐restricted T cells
Authors: Zeissig Sebastian , Blumberg Richard S.
Published: January 2012

CD1 is a family of atypical MHC class I molecules that present various endogenous and exogenous lipid antigens to CD1‐restricted T cells. While little is known about the function of CD1a‐, CD1b‐, and CD1c‐restricted lipid‐reactive T cells due to their absence in mice, CD1d‐restricted natural killer T (NKT) cells have been extensively studied since their description almost 20 years ago. NKT cells, effector memory cells that share characteristics of innate and adaptive lymphocytes, are among the earliest responders in immune reactions and have broad effects on the activation of other immune cell lineages, including NK cells, T cells, and B cells. Accordingly, studies in mice have revealed critical roles of NKT cells in infectious, malignant, and autoimmune diseases. The recent description of primary immunodeficiencies associated with defects in CD1 and CD1‐restricted T cells has provided a unique opportunity to study the biological role of lipid antigen presentation in human disease. Intriguingly, these studies revealed that defects in lipid immunity are associated with susceptibility to selected infectious and malignant diseases but not with broad immunodeficiency.
Deviant Identity in Online Contexts: New Directives in the Study of a Classic Concept
Authors: Maratea R. J. , Kavanaugh Philip R.
Published: January 2012

This article provides an overview of emerging research into the concept of deviant identity by highlighting major new directions in cyber‐deviance scholarship. We suggest that the examination of deviance in online settings offers unique new insights into the processes of identity construction and reinforcement, role play, and the social organization of deviant communities. We conclude by considering developments that may advance the literature on deviant identity in real world spaces, as well as expand the conceptual utility of deviance for other subareas of sociology.
A ‘New’ Social Movement: US Labor and the Trends of Social Movement Unionism
Authors: Walsh Jane Schuchert
Published: January 2012

“Social movement unionism” (SMU) is frequently understood as the antithesis to business unionism. While business unionism, often characterized as bureaucratic and hierarchical, dominated most of the second half of the 20th century, “SMU” showed resurgence in the 1990s. Some scholars argue that SMU should reach beyond the workplace and incorporate the community. Others seem to be proposing a strategy and understand SMU as tactically innovative and mobilizing in alliance with traditional social movements, such as the women’s, environmental, or immigrant rights movement. Some offer propositions about the social processes of a labor union and that SMU must be internally democratic. Finally, some advocate an internationalist component such as a link to global‐justice campaigns. In this article, I propose that SMU consists of an array of trends and is inclusive of these varied descriptions, strategies or processes. These trends include (1) rank‐and‐file mobilization, (2) leadership, (3) community‐based organizing, (4) worker centers, (5) corporate campaigns, and (6) transnational components. I draw on social movement and labor literatures to seek a broader understanding of this labor organizing form.
Global Mobility and Penal Order: Criminalizing Migration, A View from Europe
Authors: Barker Vanessa
Published: January 2012

Globalization has increased the flow of people across Europe, bringing economic expansion and ethnic diversity. Open political borders have enhanced European integration and interdependence, creating a cosmopolitan European Union full of transnational citizens. Alongside this increased mobility, state coercion has been quietly on the rise. Since 1990, nearly every European democracy has increased incarceration, locking up common criminals and those perceived to be outsiders. Foreign nationals are overrepresented in nearly every European prison, making up over 50 percent of the prison population in Greece, 35 percent in Spain and Italy, for example, or 28 percent in Sweden. At the same time, the intensification of border control – the regulation of both territory and group membership – has subjected a growing number of people to detention and expulsion, as immigration itself has become, in part, criminalized. The controversial expulsion of the Roma, EU citizens, from France in the summer of 2010 and the large scale detention of North African migrants in Lampedusa, Italy during the Arab Spring of 2011, among other events, graphically illustrate the rise of state coercion, directed particularly against those perceived to be foreigners and mobile. This article analyzes the current state of the literature that brings us closer to understanding how and why European democracies resort to the criminal law and penal sanctioning to resolve broader conflicts over globalization, national identity, and economic restructuring by excluding others and by desperately trying to control and contain mobility.
Evaluation of a posterior vitreous detachment: a comparison of biomicroscopy, B‐scan ultrasonography and optical coherence tomography to surgical findings with chromodissection
Authors: Kičová Nadia , Bertelmann Thomas , Irle Sebastian , Sekundo Walter , Mennel Stefan
Published: January 2012

Purpose:  To find the most reliable and efficient noninvasive technique to clinically detect a posterior vitreous detachment.

Methods:  In a prospective study of 30 eyes in 30 patients with macular pucker or macular hole formation, the posterior vitreous cortex was examined 1 day prior to a scheduled vitrectomy. Three independent investigators classified the posterior vitreous cortex of each eye as ‘attached’ or ‘detached’ via slit‐lamp biomicroscopy (BM), 10‐MHz B‐scan ultrasonography (I³ Innovative Imaging Inc.), and optical coherence tomography [OCT III Stratus® (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc.) and RTVue‐100 OCT (Optovue Corp.)]. These preoperative findings were then compared during a triamcinolone acetonide‐assisted vitrectomy 1 day later.

Results:  Triamcinolone acetonide‐assisted vitrectomy showed in 60% a posterior vitreous detachment and in 40% an attached posterior vitreous cortex. Preoperatively conducted B‐scan ultrasonography and BM revealed the highest, correct evaluation of the posterior vitreous status. The prediction of the OCT was confirmed intraoperatively in 12.5%. In all other cases, the evaluation by OCT was not possible or was inadequate.

Conclusion:  The prognostic most reliable but investigator‐dependent methods to clinically detect whether the posterior vitreous cortex is detached are B‐scan ultrasonography and BM. The objective technique of the high‐resolution, two‐dimensional time‐domain OCT allows only in a few cases a clear differentiation of preretinal structures.