bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gonadal Tumor in Frasier Syndrome: A Review and Classification
Authors: Ezaki Jiro , Hashimoto Kazunori , Asano Tatsuo , Kanda Shoichiro , Akioka Yuko , Hattori Motoshi , Yamamoto Tomoko , Shibata Noriyuki
Published: January 2015

Frasier syndrome is a rare inherited disease characterized by steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome, gonadal tumor, and male pseudohermaphroditism (female external genitalia with sex chromosomes XY), which is based on a splice site mutation of Wilms tumor-suppressor gene 1 (WT1). Several unusual Frasier syndrome cases have been reported in which male pseudohermaphroditism was absent. We reviewed 88 Frasier syndrome cases in the literature and classified them into three types (type 1–3) according to external genitalia and sex chromosomes, and described their clinical phenotypes. Type 1 Frasier syndrome is characterized by female external genitalia with 46,XY (n = 72); type 2 by male external genitalia with 46,XY (n = 8); and type 3 by female external genitalia with 46,XX (n = 8). Clinical course differs markedly among the types. Although type 1 is noticed at the mean age of 16 due to mainly primary amenorrhea, type 2 and 3 do not present delayed secondary sex characteristics, making diagnosis difficult. The prevalence of gonadal tumor is high in type 1 (67%) and also found in 3 of the 8 type 2 cases, but not in any type 3 cases, which emphasize that preventive gonadectomy is unnecessary in type 3. On the basis of our findings, we propose a new diagnostic algorithm for Frasier syndrome. Cancer Prev Res; 8(4); 271–6. ©2015 AACR.
Clinical Outcome of Elderly Kidney Transplant Recipients from Spousal Donors
Authors: Iwai Tomoaki , Uchida Junji , Kuwabara Nobuyuki , Kabei Kazuya , Yukimatsu Nao , Okamura Motohiro , Yamasaki Takeshi , Naganuma Toshihide , Kumada Norihiko , Nakatani Tatsuya
Published: January 2015

Introduction: Patients aged 60 years and older stand for the fastest growing group of patients with end-stage renal disease worldwide, and the need for kidney transplants among this population is rising. In Japan, living donor kidney transplantation is mainly performed to deal with the severe shortage of deceased donors, and the number of spousal transplants is currently increasing. Patients and Methods: A total of 164 patients with ESRD underwent living donor kidney transplantation at our institution, of whom 21 patients aged 60 years and older had spousal kidney transplantation. ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation was performed in 5 of the 21 cases. We analyzed these recipients. Results: Patient and graft survival rates were 100%. The incidence of acute rejection was 23.8%. Eight patients experienced cytomegalovirus viremia, two patients experienced Pneumocystis jiroveci infection, and one experienced bacterial pneumonia. Two patients developed cancers and underwent curative operation after transplantation. Conclusions: Elderly kidney transplantation from spousal donors is associated with age-related immune dysfunction, which may develop infections and malignancies and could be immunologically high risk due to the high rate of ABO-incompatibility and poor histocompatibility. An effort to minimize the adverse effect of immunosuppression and to reduce the risk of acute rejection may be needed for an excellent long-term outcome.
Differences among Men on Active Surveillance for Very Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Detected Through Population-Based versus Opportunistic Prostate-Specific Antigen-Screening
Authors: Randazzo Marco , Beatrice Josef , Huber Andreas , Grobholz Rainer , Manka Lukas , Recker Franz , Kwiatkowski Maciej
Published: January 2015

Introduction: Very low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) is being increasingly managed by active surveillance (AS). Our aim was to assess the influence of the origin of diagnosis on PCa characteristics and treatment rates among men with very low-risk PCa in our prospective AS cohort. Methods: Overall, 191 men with very low-risk PCa fulfilling Epstein-criteria underwent protocol-based AS. These men originated either from the prospective population-based screening program (P-AS) or were diagnosed by opportunistic screening (O-AS). Results: Overall, n = 86 (45.0%) originated from the P-AS group, whereas n = 105 (55.0%) from the O-AS group. On univariate Cox regression analysis, age (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92-1.00; p = 0.05), origin of diagnosis (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.41-1.28; p = 0.001), number of positive cores (HR 2.15, 95% CI 1.18-3.90; p = 0.01) and maximum core involvement (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.99-1.05; p = 0.05) were predictors for treatment necessity. On multivariate analysis, age (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.89-0.99; p = 0.05), number of positive cores (HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.10-3.88; p = 0.02), maximum core involvement (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.06; p = 0.04) but not origin of diagnosis were independent predictors for treatment necessity. Four men developed biochemical recurrence (all from O-AS group [p = 0.05]). Conclusion: The origin of PCa diagnosis in men undergoing AS had no influence on disease progression and treatment necessity.
Laparoscopic Ureteroureterostomy with the Intraoperative Retrograde Ureteroscopy-Assisted Technique for Inverted-Y Ureteral Duplication with a Blind-Ending Branch
Authors: Chen Zhi , He Yao , Tang Zheng-Yan , He Wei , Chen Xiang
Published: January 2015

Inverted-Y ureteral duplications are an extremely rare variant of congenital ureteral malformation with few cases reported in the literature. We describe here a case of inverted-Y ureteral duplication with a blind-ending branch, which was managed by laparoscopic ureteroureterostomy with the intraoperative retrograde ureteroscopy-assisted technique. This is the first report that reveals that inverted-Y ureteral duplication was managed by ureteroureterostomy in a laparoscopic approach.
Prescribing Personalized Nutrition for Cardiovascular Health: Are We Ready?
Authors: Juma Shanil , Imrhan Victorine , Vijayagopal Parakat , Prasad Chandan
Published: January 2015

Of all chronic metabolic diseases, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Most research over the past 100 years show a link between CVD and lifestyle, including diet; thus, public health messages have focused on modifications of the diet to better manage this disease. Despite this effort, the CVD mortality rate continues to rise. Therefore, is it possible that this failure may be due to individual variability in response to dietary recommendations? The elucidation of the structure of the human genome combined with the knowledge that nutrients are capable of modifying gene expression and genetic variability regulates how individuals respond to a diet have led to the possibility of personalized nutrition for disease prevention. While this possibility is real for the future, our current understanding of nutrient-gene interactions for CVD is limited, making personalized nutrition therapy difficult at this time. With advances in nutritional genomics, in the near future, dietitians and nutritionists will be able to give personalized nutritional advice based on a combination of lifestyle factors and genetics.
Single-Dose Rituximab for Recurrent Glomerulonephritis Post-Renal Transplant
Authors: Spinner Michael L. , Bowman Lyndsey J. , Horwedel Timothy A. , Delos Santos Rowena B. , Klein Christina L. , Brennan Daniel C.
Published: January 2015

Background/Aims: Post-renal transplant recurrent glomerulonephritis (GN) contributes to allograft loss. Rituximab treatment has been used in a multidose strategy with variable efficacy and toxicity. We investigated a novel single-dose approach. Methods: A single center, retrospective, cohort study was conducted between January 1998 and April 2012 among renal allograft recipients with recurrent GN treated with rituximab (cases) or without (controls). The primary outcome was complete response (CR, urine protein/creatinine ratio (UP/C) <0.3). Secondary outcomes included partial response (PR >50% reduction in UP/C), response relapse, treatment-response by GN type, acute rejection incidence, time to graft loss, and infection incidence. Results: The median dose of rituximab was 200 mg per patient. Of 20 rituximab cases and 13 controls, CR was achieved in eight (40%) versus four (31%), respectively (p = 0.72). Three subjects in each group achieved PR (p = 0.66). Response relapse was similar between the two groups (p = 0.47). Significantly more subjects with recurrent membranous nephropathy (MN) achieved CR with rituximab treatment (p = 0.029). Acute rejection was lower in the rituximab group versus controls (n = 0 vs. 4; p = 0.046). The mean time to graft loss was much later in the rituximab group (35 months, (95% CI 33-37)) versus controls (29 months, (95% CI 24-35)) at 36 months (p = 0.04). There was no infection increase in rituximab-treated subjects (p = 0.16). Conclusion: Single-dose rituximab for treatment of recurrent GN was associated with less subsequent rejection and longer time to graft loss without increased infection, but was no more effective than regimens not using rituximab at 36-months except those with recurrent membranous GN.
Embolization of Spontaneous Intratumoral Hemorrhage with the Hemodynamic Characteristics of Arteriovenous Fistula in Renal Angiomyolipoma
Authors: Kikuchi Nao , Kuwatsuru Ryohei , Kyogoku Shinsuke , Shiraishi Akihiko , Okada Shingo , Tsuge Daisuke , Yamashiro Yuki
Published: January 2015

Aneurysms within renal angiomyolipomas (AML) may rupture into the tumor or pararenal space. Transcatheter arterial embolization is the first-choice treatment to control bleeding. Here, we describe the use of coil embolization in two cases of spontaneous intratumoral hemorrhage with the hemodynamic characteristics of renal arteriovenous (AV) fistula in renal AML. In case 1, renal angiography showed several intratumoral aneurysms, one of which had ruptured into the tumor, resulting in the formation of an intratumoral hematoma. Blood flow within the hematoma was rapid and the blood was immediately returned to the systemic circulation through the left renal vein. In case 2, renal angiography showed that the rupture of an intratumoral aneurysm of a tumor-feeding artery had resulted in formation of an intratumoral hematoma and direct renal vein communication. No extratumoral hemorrhage was observed in either case. The hemodynamics of both hematomas resembled those of a high-flow renal AV fistula. The ruptured aneurysms were embolized with detachable and pushable coils (case 1) or pushable coils only (case 2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of successful embolization of AV fistula-like intratumoral hemorrhage in renal AML.
Nitazoxanide Use as Part of an Empiric Multi-Drug Regimen in Treating Children with Suspected Helicobacter pylori Infection
Authors: Ramos-Soriano Asuncion G. , Black Jimmy
Published: January 2015

Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium found in the human stomach, is often present in patients with chronic gastritis. Traditional treatment for H. pylori infection includes metronidazole or clarithromycin, both being associated with development of resistance. In this retrospective report, we describe our clinical experience using a multi-drug treatment regimen for pediatric H. pylori that included nitazoxanide, a newer nitrothiazole benzamide compound used in treating intestinal protozoa infections. Charts were identified for patients who were treated between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2013 with an ICD-9-CM code 041.86 (H. pylori) and who underwent elective endoscopy. All patients were exposed to nitazoxanide for 3 days plus azithromycin, and cefixime (or another 3rd-generation oral cephalosporin) for 7-10 days, plus a proton pump inhibitor for 30 days. The clinical cure criteria were predefined. There were 127 individual occurrences or cases identified for inclusion in the review, with 111 occurrences meeting the inclusion criteria. The success rate or clinical cure for the new therapy combination prescribed as defined prior to the chart review was 99 out of 111 cases (89.2%). There were no serious adverse events observed or reported during the treatment of any patient. Approximately 10% of patient charts reflected minor complaints of nausea, vomiting or abdominal cramps during the time of active drug therapy. Nitazoxanide appears to be an effective and well-tolerated option for use in combination with other agents to treat H. pylori-induced gastritis.
Clinical Characteristics of Somatic Mutations in Chinese Patients With Aldosterone-Producing Adenoma
Authors: Zheng Fang-Fang , Zhu Li-Min , Nie Ai-Fang , Li Xiao-Ying , Lin Jing-Rong , Zhang Ke , Chen Jing , Zhou Wen-Long , Shen Zhou-Jun , Zhu Yi-Chun , Wang Ji-Guang , Zhu Ding-Liang , Gao Ping-Jin
Published: January 2015

Recent studies have shown that somatic mutations in the KCNJ5, ATP1A1, ATP2B3, and CACNA1D genes are associated with the pathogenesis of aldosterone-producing adenoma. Clinical profile and biochemical characteristics of the mutations in Chinese patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma remain unclear. In this study, we performed DNA sequencing in 168 Chinese patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma and found 129 somatic mutations in KCNJ5, 4 in ATP1A1, 1 in ATP2B3, and 1 in CACNA1D. KCNJ5 mutations were more prevalent in female patients and were associated with larger adenomas, higher aldosterone excretion, and lower minimal serum K
+
concentration. More interestingly, we identified a novel somatic KCNJ5 mutation (c.445-446insGAA, p.T148-T149insR) that could enhance CYP11B2 mRNA upregulation and aldosterone release. This mutation could also cause membrane depolarization and intercellular Ca
2+
increase. In conclusion, somatic KCNJ5 mutations are conspicuously more popular than mutations of other genes in aldosterone-producing adenomas of Chinese patients. The T148-T149insR mutation in KCNJ5 may influence K
+
channel selectivity and autonomous aldosterone production.
Effects of Prediabetes Mellitus Alone or Plus Hypertension on Subsequent Occurrence of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Qiu Miaoyan , Shen Weili , Song Xiaomin , Ju Liping , Tong Wenxin , Wang Haiyan , Zheng Sheng , Jin Yan , Wu Yixin , Wang Weiqing , Tian Jingyan
Published: January 2015

Whether prediabetes mellitus alone or combined with other disorders means a higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the association between prediabetes mellitus and CVD and diabetes mellitus and to explore whether prediabetes mellitus alone or combined with other syndromes, such as hypertension, could promote CVD risks significantly. This longitudinal population-based study of 1609 residents from Shanghai in Southern China was conducted between 2002 and 2014. Participants with a history of CVD at baseline were excluded from analysis. Multivariate log-binomial regression models were used to adjust possible coexisting factors. Incidence of CVD during follow-up was 10.1%. After adjusting for age, sex, and other factors, the association between prediabetes mellitus and CVD was not observed. When hypertension was incorporated in stratifying factors, adjusted CVD risk was elevated significantly (odds ratio, 2.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.25–4.64) in prediabetes mellitus and hypertension combined group, and coexistence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension made CVD risk highly significantly increased, reaching 3.43-fold higher than the reference group. Blood glucose level within prediabetic range is significantly associated with elevated risks for diabetes mellitus after multivariable adjustment, but only when it is concurrent with other disorders, such as hypertension, it will significantly increase CVD risk.
Common Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Relates to Cardiovascular Events in Adults Aged <45 Years
Authors: Eikendal Anouk L.M. , Groenewegen Karlijn A. , Anderson Todd J. , Britton Annie R. , Engström Gunnar , Evans Greg W. , de Graaf Jacqueline , Grobbee Diederick E. , Hedblad Bo , Holewijn Suzanne , Ikeda Ai , Kitagawa Kazuo , Kitamura Akihiko , Lonn Eva M. , Lorenz Matthias W. , Mathiesen Ellisiv B. , Nijpels Giel , Dekker Jacqueline M. , Okazaki Shuhei , O’Leary Daniel H. , Polak Joseph F. , Price Jacqueline F. , Robertson Christine , Rembold Christopher M. , Rosvall Maria , Rundek Tatjana , Salonen Jukka T. , Sitzer Matthias , Stehouwer Coen D.A. , Hoefer Imo E. , Peters Sanne A.E. , Bots Michiel L. , den Ruijter Hester M.
Published: January 2015

Although atherosclerosis starts in early life, evidence on risk factors and atherosclerosis in individuals aged <45 years is scarce. Therefore, we studied the relationship between risk factors, common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and first-time cardiovascular events in adults aged <45 years. Our study population consisted of 3067 adults aged <45 years free from symptomatic cardiovascular disease at baseline, derived from 6 cohorts that are part of the USE-IMT initiative, an individual participant data meta-analysis of general-population–based cohort studies evaluating CIMT measurements. Information on risk factors, CIMT measurements, and follow-up of the combined end point (first-time myocardial infarction or stroke) was obtained. We assessed the relationship between risk factors and CIMT and the relationship between CIMT and first-time myocardial infarction or stroke using a multivariable linear mixed-effects model and a Cox proportional-hazards model, respectively. During a follow-up of 16.3 years, 55 first-time myocardial infarctions or strokes occurred. Median CIMT was 0.63 mm. Of the risk factors under study, age, sex, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol related to CIMT. Furthermore, CIMT related to first-time myocardial infarction or stroke with a hazard ratio of 1.40 per SD increase in CIMT, independent of risk factors (95% confidence interval, 1.11–1.76). CIMT may be a valuable marker for cardiovascular risk in adults aged <45 years who are not yet eligible for standard cardiovascular risk screening. This is especially relevant in those with an increased, unfavorable risk factor burden.
Cardiovascular Disease Is the Main Cause of Long-Term Excess Mortality After Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults
Authors: Rutten-Jacobs Loes C.A. , Arntz Renate M. , Maaijwee Noortje A.M. , Schoonderwaldt Hennie C. , Dorresteijn Lucille D. , van Dijk Ewoud J. , de Leeuw Frank-Erik
Published: January 2015

Adults with stroke at a young age (18–50 years) remain at an increased risk of death for decades. It is unclear what cause underlies this long-term excess mortality and whether this is sex and time specific. Therefore, we investigated sex-specific temporal changes in cause of death after transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke in young adults aged 18 to 50 years. We included all 845 consecutive 30-day survivors, of a first-ever transient ischemic attack (n=261) or ischemic stroke (n=584), admitted to our hospital between 1980 and 2010. Survival status was assessed at April 1, 2013. Observed cause-specific mortality was compared with expected mortality, derived from mortality rates in the general population with similar age, sex, and calendar-year characteristics. During a median follow-up of 9.2 years, 146 patients (17.3%) died, such that 29 years of life was lost by each individual. For all causes of death, observed mortality exceeded expected mortality. The absolute excess risk of death was for 74% attributable to a vascular cause (absolute excess risk, 2.8 per 1000 person-years [95% confidence interval, 1.8–4.1] for stroke and absolute excess risk, 4.3 per 1000 person-years [95% confidence interval, 2.9–5.9] for other vascular causes). The absolute excess risk was highest between 10 and 15 years after stroke and this peak was most pronounced in men and mainly attributable to vascular death. Long-term excess death after stroke in young adults is mainly attributable to a vascular cause and most pronounced in men. Attempts to reduce the risk of vascular disease after stroke in young adults should extend beyond the acute phase into the long term.
Colophon larvae: descriptions and phylogenetic implications
Authors: Switala Angelika K. , Sole Catherine L. , Scholtz Clarke H.
Published: January 2015

The aim of the Colophon larval study was to enable researchers to identify the species found in the field; to use larvae as an alternative for adults in molecular studies; to comment on possible phylogenetic information that may contribute to the sub-familial placement of the genus; and to obtain habitat preference data. To achieve this, larvae of four Colophon species were examined and their main diagnostic morphological characters identified. Larvae live in a fairly homogeneous micro-habitat of moist, humus-rich soil in protected places such as under rocky overhangs and amongst the roots and tussocks of Restionaceae. Colophon larvae show small inter-specific differences and larval characters contributed little equivocal information from which phylogenetic support for family placement could be deduced. Apparently, as with many scarabaeoid groups (Trogidae, Scarabaeidae), larval morphology may not have diversified much from the basal ground-plan and it remains for other (adult) phylogenetically significant morphological characters or DNA to provide more clarity on Colophon’s subfamilial placement.
Evolutionary gain of male secondary sexual structures in the widespread Neotropical montane genus Lathecla (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Eumaeini)
Authors: Robbins Robert K. , Busby Robert C.
Published: January 2015

Lathecla is a widespread, primarily montane, Neotropical genus. It consists of seven species that have a relatively uniform adult wing pattern coupled with a diverse set of male secondary sexual structures. Taxonomically, we describe five species — Lathecla mitzi Robbins new species, Lathecla fernandezi Robbins & Busby new species, Lathecla vichai Robbins & Busby new species, Lathecla carolyna Busby new species and Lathecla winnie Robbins & Busby new species and remove one name from synonymy — Thecla mimula Draudt, revised status. Evidence is presented for transferring Lathecla from the Thestius Section of the Eumaeini to the Micandra section, next to Podanotum. Topology of an inferred phylogenetic tree for Lathecla is stable when male secondary sexual characters are omitted or under a variety of implied weighting options. A scent patch on the cubital vein of the dorsal surface of the forewing is unique to Lathecla and evolved (and was not lost) in the ancestor of a four-species lineage. Its sister lineage contains two species. A scent patch on the ventral surface of the forewing evolved (and was not lost) in the ancestor of a six-species lineage in Lathecla. Its sister lineage contains one species. These results, along with previous data, show the viability for the Eumaeini of the hypothesis that the evolutionary gain of a male secondary sexual organ increases the rate of species diversification.
A new genus of cynipid inquiline, Lithosaphonecrus Tang, Melika & Bozsó (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), with description of four new species from Taiwan and China
Authors: Bozsó Miklós , Tang Chang-Ti , Pénzes Zsolt , Yang Man-Miao , Bihari Péter , Pujade-Villar Juli , Schwéger Szabina , Melika George
Published: January 2015

The cynipid inquilines genus Saphonecrus is known to be a polyphyletic group with distinct lineages. One lineage is associated with Synophrus in the Western Palaearctic on section Cerris oaks. Another involves the type species of Saphonecrus, S. connatus, and represents a distinct and probably early-diverging lineage with a Palaearctic distribution on white oaks. The third main lineage is predominantly Asian, and associated with Quercus subgenus Cyclobalanopsis and Quercus section Cerris and the oak-related Fagaceae including Lithocarpus. This third lineage shows large diversity, and includes the genus Ufo, the European lineage of S. undulatus and S. haimi, and the herein described new genus, Lithosaphonecrus Tang, Melika & Bozsó, known from Taiwan and China, with four new species: L. formosanus Melika & Tang, L. dakengi Tang & Pujade-Villar, L. huisuni Tang, Bozsó & Melika and L. yunnani Tang, Bozsó & Melika. All the four described species are associated only with Lithocarpus. Descriptions, diagnoses, biology, and host associations for the new genus and species are given, as well as a key to species and cynipid inquilines genera. All taxa are supported by morphological and molecular data.
Playing with Being in Digital Asia: Gamic Orientalism and the Virtual Dōjō
Authors: Goto-Jones Chris
Published: January 2015

Seeking to address the general question, ‘Where is Digital Asia?’, this paper explores the various ways in which the digital and virtual realm interacts with the problematic and contested category of Asia. Beginning with a discussion of the relationship between Asia and Digital Asia, as both cartographic and ideological sites, it moves on to connect Digital Asia with the discourse of techno-Orientalism. Using the example of the videogame as an instance of a digital location that can be visited and explored, this article suggests that the gamic quality of interactivity adds a new, experiential dimension to the ideological structure of (techno-)Orientalism, hence positing the utility of a new form of ‘Gamic Orientalism’. Focussing on the ‘digitaldōjō’ as the site of Gamic Orientalism and Digital Asiapar excellence, this paper concludes with a discussion of the ways in which gamers represent their engagement with this site in a manner that echoes the way martial artists talk about the significance of their art as self-cultivation. Illustrated with texts from thebushidōcanon and interviews with gamers, this playful and experimental piece posits the possibility of ‘virtualbushidō’ as the ultimate expression of Gamic Orientalism, suggesting that Digital Asia is finally located in an ideologically conditioned mode of engagement with the digital medium rather than in any cartographically defined space.
Digital / Humanities: New Media and Old Ways in South Korea
Authors: Cha Javier>
Published: January 2015

This article outlines the background to the divide between ‘the digital’ and ‘the humanities’ in contemporary South Korea. Since the late 1990s, the government of South Korea has made concerted efforts to digitize information, resulting in increased access to an unusually high quantity of heritage sources. However, the massive investments in the building of online resources have not inspired a ‘digital turn’ in the mainstream of South Korea’s departments in the humanities. This indifference to ‘the digital’, or what might be called a ‘digital/humanities divide’ has a history going back to the 1980s, when the Korean government and business leaders prepared for a post-industrial transition without drawing the interest of humanists and without expecting the nation’s remarkable success inict.
On the taxonomic placement of the Cuban spider Nops ariguanabo Alayón and the description of a new Mexican Tarsonops (Araneae, Caponiidae)
Authors: RUIZ ALEXANDER SÁNCHEZ , BRESCOVIT ANTONIO D.
Published: January 2015

The Cuban spider species Nops ariguanabo Alayón, 1986 is transferred to the genus Tarsonops Chamberlin based on the presence of several false sutures on the anterior tarsi and metatarsi, and a broad, subcircular carapace. A redescription of the species, including the description of female internal genitalia is provided. Additionally, a new species of Tarsonops from Mexico is described. The first SEM photos and a new diagnosis for the genus Tarsonops are included.
Unexpected occurrence of Hemifridericia bivesiculata Christensen & Dózsa-Farkas, 2006 in Hungary, a species presumed to be endemic to Devon Island, Canada, and its comparative analysis with H. parva Nielsen & Christensen, 1959 (Enchytraeidae, Oligochaeta)
Authors: DÓZSA-FARKAS KLÁRA , FELFÖLDI TAMÁS
Published: January 2015

During the exploration of the enchytraeid fauna in forests and grasslands of Hungarian flat areas, a small enchytraeid species, Hemifridericia bivesiculata Christensen & Dózsa-Farkas, 2006, was found unexpectedly. This species was known previously only from one single location, Bank Island in the Canadian archipelago, and was presumed to be endemic. Here, the distinctive features of the two Hemifridericia species are described based on detailed morphological analyses, which were supported with molecular methods. The results demonstrated that the two Hemifridericia species are very similar morphologically, but can be clearly distinguished from each other by the presence or absence of the oesophageal vesicles and the shape of the brain. Some additional differences were observed between the Hungarian material and the type specimens of H. bivesiculata. The two species were unequivocally separated based on the studied molecular markers, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO1) gene, the nuclear histon 3 (H3) gene and the nuclear ribosomal ITS region.
The Hydrometeorology of the Kariba Catchment Area Based on the Probability Distributions
Authors: Muchuru S. , Botai C. M. , Botai J. O. , Adeola A. M.
Published: January 2015

In this paper, monthly, maximum seasonal, and maximum annual hydrometeorological (i.e., evaporation, lake water levels, and rainfall) data series from the Kariba catchment area of the Zambezi River basin, Zimbabwe, have been analyzed in order to determine appropriate probability distribution models of the underlying climatology from which the data were generated. In total, 16 probability distributions were considered and the Kolmogorov–Sminorv (KS), Anderson–Darling (AD), and chi-square (χ2) goodness-of-fit (GoF) tests were used to evaluate the best-fit probability distribution model for each hydrometeorological data series. A ranking metric that uses the test statistic from the three GoF tests was formulated and used to select the most appropriate probability distribution model capable of reproducing the statistics of the hydrometeorological data series. Results showed that, for each hydrometeorological data series, the best-fit probability distribution models were different for the different time scales, corroborating those reported in the literature. The evaporation data series was best fit by the Pearson system, the Lake Kariba water levels series was best fit by the Weibull family of probability distributions, and the rainfall series was best fit by the Weibull and the generalized Pareto probability distributions. This contribution has potential applications in such areas as simulation of precipitation concentration and distribution and water resources management, particularly in the Kariba catchment area and the larger Zambezi River basin, which is characterized by (i) nonuniform distribution of a network of hydrometeorological stations, (ii) significant data gaps in the existing observations, and (iii) apparent inherent impacts caused by climatic extreme events and their corresponding variability.
Understanding the Influence of Measurement Uncertainty on the Atmospheric Transition in Rainfall and Column Water Vapor
Authors: Gilmore James B.
Published: January 2015

Measurement uncertainty plays a key role in understanding physical relationships. This is particularly the case near phase transitions where order parameters undergo fast changes and display large variability. Here the proposed atmospheric continuous phase transition is examined by analyzing uncertainty in rain-rate and column water vapor measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and through an idealized error analysis. It is shown through both of these approaches that microwave rain-rate retrievals can mimic a continuous phase transition. This occurs because microwave retrievals of instantaneous rain rates have a suppressed range. This work also suggests that column water vapor noise may provide part of the plateau seen in the observational relationship. Using updated measurements, this work indicates that the atmosphere is unlikely to undergo a continuous phase transition in rain rate but, instead, contains much larger variability in rain rates at extreme column water vapor values than previously thought. This implies that the atmosphere transitions from a low-variance nonraining state to a high-variance raining state at extreme column water vapor values.
A Climatology of the Vertical Structure of Water Vapor Transport to the Sierra Nevada in Cool Season Atmospheric River Precipitation Events
Authors: Backes Tracy M. , Kaplan Michael L. , Schumer Rina , Mejia John F.
Published: January 2015

This study presents the climatology of the vertical structure of water vapor flux above the Sierra Nevada during significant cool season (November–April) precipitation events. Atmospheric river (AR) and non-AR events are analyzed to better understand the effect of this structure on precipitation patterns. Daily measurements of cool season precipitation at seven weather stations around the Tahoe basin from 1974 to 2012 and NCEP/CPC gridded daily precipitation analysis along the Sierra crest for the period 1948–2012 are examined. NCEP–NCAR reanalysis and soundings from Oakland are used to look at upper atmospheric conditions, including the presence of vapor transport by low- and midlevel jets on storm days as well as upstream static stability in relation to significant precipitation events. Key findings are as follows: 1) ARs play a disproportionately large role in generating Tahoe basin precipitation during the cool season; 2) strong midlevel vapor transport needs to occur in tandem with low-level transport to achieve the most extreme 2-day precipitation in the Tahoe basin; 3) when low- to midlevel vapor transport is present on days with a defined AR, the local maximum in 2-day precipitation intensity decreases with distance from the Sierra crest, and on non-AR days, the relative increase in 2-day precipitation intensity due to low- and midlevel vapor transport does not vary based on distance from the Sierra crest; 4) AR and non-AR moisture fluxes are significantly modified by upstream static stability; and 5) understanding the impacts of ARs and their lower- and midlevel moisture flux structure are crucial components of the hydrometeorology in this region.
Characterizing the Potential Predictability of Seasonal, Station-Based Heavy Precipitation Accumulations and Extreme Dry Spell Durations*
Authors: Anderson Bruce T. , Gianotti Dan , Salvucci Guido
Published: January 2015

The release of seasonal (and longer) predictions of various climatological quantities is now routine. While undoubtedly devastating to lives and livelihoods, it is unclear whether seasonal extremes in precipitation—for example, extreme dry spells leading to droughts or heavy precipitation events leading to flooding—represent a feasible target for these predictions, that is, whether they are potentially predictable or are instead inherently unpredictable more than a few days to weeks in advance. This paper assesses the potential for predicting seasonal extremes in observed precipitation as a function of region and time of year by decomposing the station-based variance into that attributable to short-memory behavior of typical meteorological events—as generated from station-specific, seasonally varying, daily time-scale stationary stochastic weather models (SSWMs)—and that attributable to longer-time-scale, potentially predictable changes in precipitation-producing processes. Findings suggest the potential for making skillful predictions of seasonal precipitation extremes over the United States is enhanced (reduced) during the cool (warm) season, particularly for heavy precipitation event accumulations. Further, this potential is accentuated along the West Coast, around the Great Lakes, and over the central plains and Ohio River valley but is diminished over the Northeast and northern Great Plains. However, findings also suggest the potential for producing seasonal (and longer) predictions of seasonal precipitation extremes is spatially and seasonally dependent. As such, this paper includes supplemental material for the potentially predictable variance of seasonal extreme dry spell lengths, heavy event accumulations, and total accumulations at 774 stations across all 365 days so readers can evaluate the potential predictability for the location, timing, and metric of most relevance to them.
Prolonged Clostridium difficile Infection May Be Associated With Vitamin D Deficiency
Authors: Wong Ken Koon , Lee Rebecca , Watkins Richard R. , Haller Nairmeen
Published: January 2015

Background: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is one of the leading causes of hospital‐acquired infections, creating a financial burden for the U.S. healthcare system. Reports suggest that vitamin D–deficient CDI patients incur higher healthcare‐associated expenses and longer lengths of stay compared to nondeficient counterparts. The objective here was to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D level and CDI recurrence. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for 112 patients with vitamin D level drawn within 3 months of CDI diagnosis. Recurrence, severity of disease, 30‐day mortality, and course of CDI were assessed. Results: The vitamin D–deficient group included 56 patients, and the normal group included 56 patients. The mean age of vitamin D–deficient and –sufficient groups was 68 ± 15.7 and 71 ± 14.4 years, respectively. The mean 25(OH) D level in the deficient group was 11.7 ± 4.6 ng/mL, and it was 36.2 ± 16.2 ng/mL in the normal group. A longer course of diarrhea was apparent in the vitamin D–deficient group compared to the normal group: 6.1 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.9–7.2) vs 4.2 days (95% CI, 3.5–4.9; P = .01). Sepsis rate was 24% in vitamin D–deficient group and 13% in normal group (P = .03). There were no differences in CDI recurrence, length of stay, severity of illness, and mortality with respect to vitamin D status. Conclusion: There may be an association between course of diarrhea and increased rate of sepsis in vitamin D–deficient CDI patients.
Applying Cost Accounting to Operating Room Staffing in Otolaryngology
Authors: Balakrishnan Karthik , Goico Brian , Arjmand Ellis M.
Published: January 2015

Objectives

(1) To describe the application of a detailed cost‐accounting method (time‐driven activity‐cased costing) to operating room personnel costs, avoiding the proxy use of hospital and provider charges. (2) To model potential cost efficiencies using different staffing models with the case study of outpatient adenotonsillectomy.

Study Design

Prospective cost analysis case study.

Setting

Tertiary pediatric hospital.

Subject and Methods

All otolaryngology providers and otolaryngology operating room staff at our institution.

Results

Time‐driven activity‐based costing demonstrated precise per‐case and per‐minute calculation of personnel costs. We identified several areas of unused personnel capacity in a basic staffing model. Per‐case personnel costs decreased by 23.2% by allowing a surgeon to run 2 operating rooms, despite doubling all other staff. Further cost reductions up to a total of 26.4% were predicted with additional staffing rearrangements.

Conclusion

Time‐driven activity‐based costing allows detailed understanding of not only personnel costs but also how personnel time is used. This in turn allows testing of alternative staffing models to decrease unused personnel capacity and increase efficiency.
Facebook Use During a Stressful Event
Authors: Moreno Megan A. , Stewart Mara , Pumper Megan , Cox Elizabeth , Young Henry , Zhang Chong , Eickhoff Jens
Published: January 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine whether Facebook use affects biological response to stress and to characterize participants’ use of Facebook during a stressful event. Methods: College students completed a modified Trier Social Stress Test including video recording. Participants were randomly assigned to the Facebook group or control group (no preparatory materials). Pulse and salivary cortisol were measured and compared using t tests. Trained coders assessed videos for 13 common Facebook actions and categorized them as purposeful (tool based) or nonpurposeful (distraction); pulse was compared between groups using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Of 41 participants, 14 (36%) were male and 36 (88%) were Caucasian, mean age was 19.6 ± 1.4 years; 19 participants were randomized to the Facebook group. Comparing Time 1 and Time 3, there were no significant differences in cortisol or pulse change between the Facebook group and the control group. However, males in the control group had a mean pulse reduction of −3.5 ± 0.2 bpm between baseline and Time 3; males in the Facebook group had a mean pulse increase of 10 ± 8.6 bmp ( p = .01). Overall, 58.8% of videos were categorized as primarily tool based. Participants who primarily demonstrated distracted use of Facebook had higher than average pulse rates at Time 3 (mean 85.1 vs. 73.6 bpm, p = .03). Discussion: Male Facebook users and participants who demonstrated distracted Facebook use showed increased biologic signs of stress during a stressful event. Some college students may find Facebook use detrimental to performance in stressful situations, but this may vary by gender and type of use.
Conflicting Futures
Authors: Kokotovich Adam , Kuzma Jennifer
Published: January 2015

Novel targeted genetic modification (TagMo) techniques for plants have the potential to increase the speed and ease of genetic modification and fall outside existing regulatory authority. We conducted 31 interviews with expert-stakeholders to explore the differing visions they have for the future of plant TagMo environmental regulation. To guide our analysis we review the tenets of anticipatory governance in light of future studies literature on emerging technology, focusing on how to contribute to reflexivity by making explicit the assumptions within envisioned futures. Our findings reveal that the environmental regulation futures articulated by expert-stakeholders could be classified into three categories—optimistic, pragmatic, and critical—based on their differing underlying assumptions concerning what constitutes environmental risk and the adequacy of existing U.S. genetically modified plant regulations. By gathering these diverse perspectives on the future and studying how they differ, we hope to further the anticipatory governance-informed engagement with regulation and foster a more productive discussion of plant TagMo regulation.
Can Multi-attribute Utility Instruments Adequately Account for Subjective Well-being?
Authors: Richardson Jeff , Chen Gang , Khan Munir A. , Iezzi Angelo
Published: January 2015

Introduction: The quality of life is included in cost utility analyses by weighting the relevant years of life by health state utilities. However, the utilities predicted by multi-attribute utility instruments (MAUIs) for this purpose do not correlate highly with the subjective well-being (SWB) of people experiencing the health states. This suggests that MAUIs may not take account of the SWB experienced by patients. This article explores an alternative hypothesis: that a failure of an MAUI to account for variation in SWB is primarily a result of the failure of its descriptive system to include the elements of health that determine SWB and that cannot therefore be included in assessment of the health state utility. Methods: Survey data are used to determine the extent to which 6 MAUIs with significantly different descriptive systems explain differences between the SWB of the healthy public and patients in 7 disease areas. Results: The EQ-5D-5L takes least account and AQoL-8D most account of SWB. AQoL-8D overpredicts the loss of SWB in 2 cases where hedonic adaptation is known to occur. Discussion: Results suggest that, to a large extent, utility can account for variation in SWB. The case for replacing utility with SWB in economic evaluation studies has arisen, in part, because elements of importance for SWB have been omitted from the descriptive systems of commonly used MAUIs.
The Influence of Diabetes Mellitus on Clinical and Structural Outcomes After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Cho Nam Su , Moon Seong Cheol , Jeon Jong Wook , Rhee Yong Girl
Published: January 2015

Background:

The clinical effect of sustained hyperglycemia on tendon-to-bone healing after rotator cuff repair has not been well characterized.

Purpose:

To compare the clinical and structural outcomes between diabetic and nondiabetic patients after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and to determine the effect of a diabetic phenotype on tendon-to-bone healing.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This study retrospectively evaluated a total of 335 shoulders that were available for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation at least 6 months after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using the suture-bridge technique with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Only patients who had medium- to large-sized tears with supraspinatus of fatty infiltration <2 and no or mild atrophy were enrolled in this study. There were 271 nondiabetic patients (group A) and 64 diabetic patients (group B). The mean age at the time of operation for groups A and B was 57.7 and 58.2 years, respectively, and the mean duration of follow-up after surgery was 27.8 and 24.8 months, respectively.

Results:

At the last follow-up, there were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups with regard to pain at rest and during motion ( P = .212 and .336, respectively). Both groups reported statistically significant improvement in Constant and Shoulder Rating Scale of the University of California at Los Angeles scores ( P = .323 and .241, respectively), but there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. In assessing the repair integrity with postoperative MRI scans, 39 of 271 cases in group A (14.4%) and 23 of 64 cases in group B (35.9%) had retears, and the difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant ( P < .001). In analyzing the retear rates according to the severity of sustained hyperglycemia in group B, retear was found in 16 of 37 (43.2%) uncontrolled diabetic patients with poor glycemic control (≥7.0% of preoperative serum glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] levels) and in 7 of 27 (25.9%) controlled diabetic patients (<7.0%) ( P < .001).

Conclusion:

Pain, range of motion, and function all significantly improved after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using the suture-bridge technique, regardless of the presence of diabetes. However, sustained hyperglycemia increased the possibility of anatomic failure at the repaired cuff. In diabetic patients, an effective glycemic control was associated with better rate of healing after rotator cuff repair.
The Paradox of Sanctions Regime in Sudan
Authors: Aluoch Ruth Bolline
Published: January 2015

The utility of sanctions as a tool of foreign policy is most often marred by controversies, misinterpretations and misrepresentation. Underlining the debate is the question of functionality, efficacy and effectiveness which creates a limbo among scholars and policy makers. This predicament has created a perception where debates on sanctions are seen to have little, if any, relevance to policy makers. First, because sanctions are embodied within international laws whose enforceability is pegged on national interests. Second, in the context of sovereign states’ foreign policy, which are premised on an individual country’s national objectives. Furthermore, scholarly debates address different questions substantiated by ideological, theoretical and circumstantial appropriations among realists, liberals and idealists. This article examines the paradox of sanctions in the prism of Sudan under the utilitarian ethical theory. While acknowledging its utility through a conceptual analysis and chronological application it argues that in the broader picture the sanctions against Sudan have profound political, social and economic implications on the state of Sudan, defeating the overall purpose of utility. As such it makes recommendations for their lifting and strengthening of ongoing diplomatic processes.
Book Review: Georg Klute and Peter Skalník (Eds), Actors in Contemporary African Politics
Authors: Gieg Philipp
Published: January 2015

Georg Klute and Peter Skalník (Eds), Actors in Contemporary African Politics, LIT Verlag, Zürich and Münster, 2013, Pp. 192, 29,90 Euros, ISBN 978-3-643-90443-0.