bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Local Co‐Governance and Environmental Sustainability in New South Wales Local Government: The Lake Macquarie City Council Sustainable Neighbourhoods Program
Authors: Dollery Brian , Kortt Michael A. , O'Keefe Sue
Published: April 2014

New South Wales (NSW) local government is in the throes of a vigorous debate over the best methods of improving its operations through a comprehensive reform programme. An Independent Local Government Review Panel, set up by the NSW Government, has proposed addressing the “key challenge” of local environmental sustainability by forcibly amalgamating local councils, especially in the metropolitan regions of the state. Using the community participation model, local co‐governance structures established by Lake Macquarie City Council (LakeMac) in its Sustainable Neighbourhoods Program (SNAP) as a case study, this study argues that co‐governance programmes of this kind represent by far the most promising avenue for tackling the environmental challenges facing NSW local government. We seek to demonstrate that the ground‐breaking efforts being undertaken by LakeMac show that NSW local government already enjoys the necessary legislative foundations to initiate successful local co‐government initiatives through local community participation. Rather than divisive and expensive compulsory council mergers, we contend that the Panel should instead have recommended that the NSW Government focus on encouraging NSW local government to emulate LakeMac's example in discharging its environmental responsibilities.
Electrocardiogram Patterns during Hemodynamic Instability in Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Zhan Zhong‐qun , Wang Chong‐quan , Nikus Kjell C. , He Chao‐rong , Wang Jin , Mao Shan , Dong Xiong‐jian
Published: April 2014

Background

We have previously described new electrocardiogram (ECG) findings for massive pulmonary embolism, namely ST‐segment elevation in lead aVR with ST‐segment depression in leads I and V4–V6. However, the ECG patterns of patients with acute pulmonary embolism during hemodynamic instability are not fully described.

Methods

We compared the differences between the ECG at baseline and after deterioration during hemodynamic instability in twenty patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

Results

Compared with the ECG at baseline, three ischemic ECG patterns were found during clinical deterioration with hemodynamic instability: ST‐segment elevation in lead aVR with concomitant ST‐segment depression in leads I and V4–V6, ST‐segment elevation in leads V1–V3/V4, and ST‐segment elevation in leads III and/or V1/V2 with concomitant ST‐segment depression in leads V4/V5–V6. Ischemic ECG patterns with concomitant S1Q3 and/or abnormal QRS morphology in lead V1 were more common (90%) during hemodynamic instability than at baseline (5%) (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Hemodynamic instability in acute pulmonary embolism is reflected by signs of myocardial ischemia combined with the right ventricular strain pattern in the 12‐lead ECG
Removal of Urea in a Wearable Dialysis Device: A Reappraisal of Electro‐Oxidation
Authors: Wester Maarten , Simonis Frank , Lachkar Nadia , Wodzig Will K. , Meuwissen Frank J. , Kooman Jeroen P. , Boer Walther H. , Joles Jaap A. , Gerritsen Karin G.
Published: April 2014

A major challenge for a wearable dialysis device is removal of urea, as urea is difficult to adsorb while daily production is very high. Electro‐oxidation (EO) seems attractive because electrodes are durable, small, and inexpensive. We studied the efficacy of urea oxidation, generation of chlorine by‐products, and their removal by activated carbon (AC). EO units were designed. Three electrode materials (platinum, ruthenium oxide, and graphite) were compared in single pass experiments using urea in saline solution. Chlorine removal by AC in series with EO by graphite electrodes was tested. Finally, urea‐spiked bovine blood was dialyzed and dialysate was recirculated in a dialysate circuit with AC in series with an EO unit containing graphite electrodes. Platinum electrodes degraded more urea (21 ± 2 mmol/h) than ruthenium oxide (13 ± 2 mmol/h) or graphite electrodes (13 ± 1 mmol/h). Chlorine generation was much lower with graphite (13 ± 4 mg/h) than with platinum (231 ± 22 mg/h) or ruthenium oxide electrodes (129 ± 12 mg/h). Platinum and ruthenium oxide electrodes released platinum (4.1 [3.9–8.1] umol/h) and ruthenium (83 [77–107] nmol/h), respectively. AC potently reduced dialysate chlorine levels to <0.10 mg/L. Urea was removed from blood by EO at constant rate (9.5 ± 1.0 mmol/h). EO by graphite electrodes combined with AC shows promising urea removal and chlorine release complying with Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation standards, and may be worth further exploring for dialysate regeneration in a wearable system.
Systematic review with network meta‐analysis: the efficacy of anti‐TNF agents for the treatment of Crohn's disease
Authors: Stidham R. W. , Lee T. C. H. , Higgins P. D. R. , Deshpande A. R. , Sussman D. A. , Singal A. G. , Elmunzer B. J. , Saini S. D. , Vijan S. , Waljee A. K.
Published: April 2014

Background

Anti‐tumour necrosis factor‐alpha agents (anti‐TNF) are effective therapies for the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD), but their comparative efficacy is unknown.

Aim

To perform a network meta‐analysis comparing the efficacy of anti‐TNF therapies in CD.

Methods

After screening 506 studies, reviewers extracted information on 10 studies. Traditional meta‐analysis (TMA) was used to compare each anti‐TNF agent to placebo. Bayesian network meta‐analysis (NMA) was performed to compare the effects of anti‐TNF agents to placebo. In addition, sample sizes for comparative efficacy trials were calculated.

Results

Compared to placebo, TMA revealed that anti‐TNF agents result in a higher likelihood of induction of remission and response (RR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.17–2.36 and RR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.17–1.73, respectively) as well as maintenance of remission and response (RR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.51–2.09 and RR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.46–1.93, respectively). NMA found nonsignificant trends between infliximab and adalimumab or certolizumab pegol. Among subcutaneous therapies, NMA demonstrated superiority of adalimumab to certolizumab pegol for induction of remission (RR: 2.93, 95% CrI: 1.21–7.75). Sample size calculations suggest that adequately powered head‐to‐head comparative efficacy trials would require greater than 3000 patients.

Conclusions

All anti‐TNF agents are effective for induction and maintenance of response and remission in the treatment of CD. Although adalimumab is superior to certolizumab pegol for induction of remission, there is no evidence of clinical superiority among anti‐TNF agents. Head‐to‐head trials among the anti‐TNF agents are impractical in terms of size and cost.
Review article: the biology, diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal stromal tumours
Authors: Iorio N. , Sawaya R. A. , Friedenberg F. K.
Published: April 2014

Background

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract with an increasing incidence.

Aims

To review the biology, diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

Methods

A PubMed search using the phrases ‘Gastrointestinal stromal tumor’, ‘imatinib’, ‘c‐kit’.

Results

The diagnosis of GIST is established by histology supplemented by the immunohistochemical marker CD117, which is positive in 95% of cases. The most common site of the tumour is the stomach. Most GIST are benign with 20–30% malignant. Five‐year survival for malignant GIST ranges between 35% and 65% and depends primarily on tumour size, mitotic index and location. The malignant behaviour of GIST is best assessed by invasion of adjacent structures and distant metastases. The gold standard for treatment is surgical resection. Imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is the primary therapy for unresectable, recurrent or metastatic disease.

Conclusions

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours are rare tumours of the gastrointestinal tract and they vary in presentation. When surgical resection is not achievable, imatinib is the treatment of choice.
The Influence of Detailed Maternal Ethnicity on Cesarean Delivery: Findings from the U.S. Birth Certificate in the State of Massachusetts
Authors: Edmonds Joyce K. , Hawkins Summer S. , Cohen Bruce B.
Published: April 2014

Background

Our objective was to examine the likelihood of primary cesarean delivery for women at low risk for the procedure in Massachusetts.

Methods

Birth certificate data for all births from 1996 to 2010 that were nulliparous, term, singleton, and vertex (NTSV; N = 427,393) were used to conduct logistic regression models to assess the likelihood of a cesarean delivery for each of the 31 ethnic groups relative to self‐identified “American” mothers. The results were compared with broad classifications of race/ethnicity more commonly employed in research.

Results

While 23.3 percent of American women had primary cesarean deliveries, cesarean delivery rates varied from 12.9 percent for Cambodian to 32.4 percent for Nigerian women. Women from 21 of 30 ethnic groups had higher odds of a primary cesarean (range of adjusted odds ratios [AORs] 1.09–1.77), while only Chinese, Cambodian, and Japanese women had lower odds (range of AORs 0.66–0.92), compared with self‐identified “Americans.” Using broad race/ethnicity categories, Non‐Hispanic black, Hispanic, and “Other” women had higher odds of cesarean delivery relative to Non‐Hispanic white women (range of AORs 1.12–1.47), while there were no differences for Asian or Pacific Islander women.

Conclusions

Detailed maternal ethnicity explains the variation in NTSV cesarean delivery rates better than broad race/ethnicity categories. Different patterns of cesarean delivery between ethnic groups suggest cultural specificity related to birth culture.
The Effectiveness of Weight Management Interventions in Breastfeeding Women—A Systematic Review and Critical Evaluation
Authors: Neville Charlotte E. , McKinley Michelle C. , Holmes Valerie A. , Spence Dale , Woodside Jayne V.
Published: April 2014

Background

The postpartum period is a vulnerable time for excess weight retention, particularly for the increasing number of women who are overweight at the start of their pregnancy and subsequently find it difficult to lose additional weight gained during pregnancy. Although postpartum weight management interventions play an important role in breaking this potentially vicious cycle of weight gain, the effectiveness of such interventions in breastfeeding women remains unclear. Our aim was to systematically review the literature about the effectiveness of weight management interventions in breastfeeding women.

Methods

Seven electronic databases were searched for eligible papers. Intervention studies included were carried out exclusively in breastfeeding mothers, ≤2 years postpartum and with a body mass index greater than 18.5 kg/m2, with an outcome measure of change in weight and/or body composition.

Results

Six studies met the selection criteria, and were stratified according to the type of intervention and outcome measures. Despite considerable heterogeneity among studies, the dietary‐based intervention studies appeared to be the most efficacious in promoting weight loss; however, few studies were tailored toward the needs of breastfeeding women.

Conclusions

Weight management interventions which include an energy‐restricted diet may play a key role in successful postpartum weight loss for breastfeeding mothers.
Cognitive vulnerability to bipolar disorder in offspring of parents with bipolar disorder
Authors: Pavlickova Hana , Turnbull Oliver , Bentall Richard P.
Published: April 2014

Background

Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable illness, with a positive family history robustly predictive of its onset. It follows that studying biological children of parents with bipolar disorder may provide information about developmental pathways to the disorder. Moreover, such studies may serve as a useful test of theories that attribute a causal role in the development of mood disorders to psychological processes.

Method

Psychological style (including self‐esteem, coping style with depression, domain‐specific risk‐taking, sensation‐seeking, sensitivity to reward and punishment, and hypomanic personality and cognition) was assessed in 30 offspring of bipolar parents and 30 children of well parents. Parents of both child groups completed identical assessments.

Results

Although expected differences between parents with bipolar disorder and well parents were detected (such as low self‐esteem, increased rumination, high sensitivity to reward and punishment), offspring of bipolar parents were, as a group, not significantly different from well offspring, apart from a modest trend towards lower adaptive coping. When divided into affected and non‐affected subgroups, both groups of index children showed lower novelty‐seeking. Only affected index children showed lower self‐esteem, increased rumination, sensitivity to punishment, and hypomanic cognitions. Notably, these processes were associated with symptoms of depression.

Conclusion

Psychological abnormalities in index offspring were associated with having met diagnostic criteria for psychiatric illnesses and the presence of mood symptoms, rather than preceding them. Implications of the present findings for our understanding of the development of bipolar disorder, as well as for informing early interventions, are discussed.

Practitioner points

Decreased active coping and seeking for novel stimuli might be one of first psychological indications relevant to the future development of mood disorders.

Psychological abnormalities typical for individuals with mood disorders were present only in already affected offspring of parents with bipolar disorder.

Limitations of the study

This was a cross‐sectional study; longitudinal design would greatly enhance our understanding of the association between psychological processes and symptoms.

The sample size in this study was modest.
Is growth hormone treatment in children associated with weight gain? – Longitudinal analysis of KIGS data
Authors: Reinehr Thomas , Lindberg Anders , Koltowska‐Häggström Maria , Ranke Michael
Published: April 2014

Objective

Growth hormone (GH) increases lean body mass and reduces fat mass. However, the long‐term changes in weight status during growth hormone treatment, according to age and weight status at onset of treatment, have not previously been reported in large data sets.

Methods

Changes in BMI‐SDS between starting GH treatment and attaining near adult height (NAH) were analysed in 2643 children with idiopathic GH deficiency (IGHD), 281 children small for gestational age (SGA), 1661 girls with Turner syndrome (TS), and 142 children with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) in the KIGS database.

Results

BMI‐SDS increased significantly between onset of GH treatment and NAH (IGHD:+0·29, SGA:+0·69, TS:+0·48) except in PWS (−0·02). These increases were greater in children with younger age at onset of GH treatment (significant in all indications) and with lower doses of GH treatment (significant in IGHD & TS) in multiple linear regression analyses also including gender, duration of GH treatment, BMI‐SDS and height‐SDS at onset of treatment, and birth weight‐SDS. Obese children at onset of GH treatment decreased their BMI‐SDS, while underweight and normal weight children at onset of GH treatment increased their BMI‐SDS independently of GH treatment indication.

Conclusions

Long‐term GH treatment was associated with changes in weight status, which were beneficial for underweight and obese children independent of the indication for GH. However, the increase in BMI‐SDS in normal weight children treated with GH needs to be investigated in future prospective longitudinal studies to analyse whether this represents an increase of fat mass, lean body mass or both.
Extracellular Visfatin has Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase Enzymatic Activity and is Neuroprotective Against Ischemic Injury
Authors: Zhao Yan , Liu Xin‐Zhu , Tian Wei‐Wei , Guan Yun‐Feng , Wang Pei , Miao Chao‐Yu
Published: April 2014

Aim

Visfatin, a novel adipokine, is predominantly produced by visceral adipose tissue and exists in intracellular and extracellular compartments. The intracellular form of visfatin is proved to be nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) and exhibits neuroprotection through maintaining intracellular NAD+ pool. However, whether extracellular form of visfatin has NAMPT activity and the effect of extracellular visfatin in cerebral ischemia are unknown.

Methods and Results

Plasma concentrations of visfatin, NAD+, and ATP were increased in mice upon cerebral ischemia. Cultured glia, but not neuron, was able to secrete visfatin. Oxygen‐glucose deprivation (OGD) stress increased the secretion of visfatin from glia. Extracellular recombinant mouse wild‐type visfatin, but not mouse H247A‐mutant enzymatic‐dead visfatin, had NAMPT enzymatic function in vitro. Treatment of wild‐type visfatin, but not H247A‐mutant enzymatic‐dead visfatin, significantly attenuated detrimental effect of OGD on the cell viability and apoptosis in both cultured mouse neuron and glia. Treatment of neutralizing antibody, abolished the protective effect of extracellular visfatin on cell viability, but failed to block the antiapoptotic effect of extracellular visfatin. At last, we observed that plasma visfatin concentrations decreased in 6‐month‐old but not 3‐month‐old SHR‐SP compared with that in age‐matched Wistar‐Kyoto rats. Inhibition of NAMPT enzymatic function of visfatin (by FK866) accelerated the occurrence of stroke in SHR‐SP.

Conclusions

Extracellular visfatin has NAMPT enzymatic activity and maybe be neuroprotective just as intracellular visfatin in cerebral ischemic injury.
Use of Statin During Hospitalization Improves the Outcome After Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Pan Yue‐Song , Jing Jing , Wang Yi‐Long , Zhao Xing‐Quan , Song Bo , Wang Wen‐Juan , Wang David , Liu Gai‐Fen , Liu Li‐Ping , Wang Chun‐Xue , Wang Yong‐Jun ,   on behalf of the CNSR investigators
Published: April 2014

Aims

To examine the relationship between statin use in Chinese patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) during their hospitalization and the outcomes.

Methods

Data were collected from the China National Stroke Registry. Good functional outcome was defined by a modified Rankin Scale score between 0–2. Functional outcome and rate of mortality at 3 months and 1 year were compared between ICH patients on statin and those without it during their hospitalization. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using the multivariable logistic regression model adjusted for baseline risk factors.

Results

Among 3218 consecutive ICH patients from 2007 to 2008, 220 (6.8%) were on statin during their hospitalization. Compared with those without statin, patients on statin were younger, had more stroke risk factors but lower stroke severity. ICH patients on statin had better functional outcome at 3 months (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.49–3.36) and at 1 year (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.37–3.06). They also had lower rate of mortality at 3 months (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.22–0.87) and 1 year (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.27–0.86).

Conclusions

In‐hospital statin use in ICH patients is associated with better functional outcome and lower mortality at 3 months and 1 year.
Behavior‐Based Propagation of Trust in Social Networks with Restricted and Anonymous Participation
Authors: Nepal Surya , Bista Sanat Kumar , Paris Cecile
Published: April 2014

Increasing interactions and engagements in social networks through monetary and material incentives is not always feasible. Some social networks, specifically those that are built on the basis of fairness, cannot incentivize members using tangible things and thus require an intangible way to do so. In such networks, a personalized recommender could provide an incentive for members to interact with other members in the community. Behavior‐based trust models that generally compute social trust values using the interactions of a member with other members in the community have proven to be good for this. These models, however, largely ignore the interactions of those members with whom a member has interacted, referred to as “friendship effects.” Results from social studies and behavioral science show that friends have a significant influence on the behavior of the members in the community. Following the famous Spanish proverb on friendship “Tell Me Your Friends and I Will Tell You Who You Are,” we extend our behavior‐based trust model by incorporating the “friendship effect” with the aim of improving the accuracy of the recommender system. In this article, we describe a trust propagation model based on associations that combines the behavior of both individual members and their friends. The propagation of trust in our model depends on three key factors: the density of interactions, the degree of separation, and the decay of friendship effect. We evaluate our model using a real data set and make observations on what happens in a social network with and without trust propagation to understand the expected impact of trust propagation on the ranking of the members in the recommended list. We present the model and the results of its evaluation. This work is in the context of moderated networks for which participation is by invitation only and in which members are anonymous and do not know each other outside the community. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
To induce or not to induce: a 21st century evaluation of lung transplant immunosuppression's effect on survival
Authors: Whitson Bryan A. , Lehman Amy , Wehr Allison , Hayes Don , Kirkby Stephen , Pope‐Harman Amy , Kilic Ahmet , Higgins Robert S.D.
Published: April 2014

Introduction

The impact of induction immunosuppression on long‐term survival in lung transplant recipients remains unclear. We sought to evaluate the effect of contemporary induction immunosuppression agents in lung transplant recipients’ survival, utilizing national registry data.

Methods

We queried the United Network for Organ Sharing registry from 2001 to 2012 for adult, deceased donor lung transplants who received no antibody‐based induction (NONE) or the contemporary agents of basiliximab, alemtuzumab, thymoglobulin, antilymphocyte globulin, or antithymocyte globulin (INDUCED). Kaplan–Meier estimates of the survival and Cox proportional hazards models assessed differences in overall survival between the INDUCED and NONE groups; logistic regression models assessed differences in survival and rejection (TR1Y).

Results

There were 23 951 lung transplants performed with 12 858 meeting the inclusion criteria; 5713 (44%) were INDUCED. Of INDUCED agents, 62% were basiliximab and 14% alemtuzumab. Being INDUCED significantly increased overall survival (p < 0.0001). Median INDUCED survival was 71.3 months (confidence interval [CI]: 65.7–75.5) as compared with 63.2 months (CI: 60.1–65.9). Of INDUCED, both basiliximab and alemtuzumab had higher median survival times at 75.1 months (CI: 68.6–81.3) and 75.5 months (CI: 63.5–∞), respectively. There was less TR1Y in INDUCED patients (37%), as compared to NONE (42%; p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

In a contemporary analysis of lung transplant recipients, induction immunosuppression has a significantly positive effect on survival.
Spatial distribution of marine invasive species: environmental, demographic and vector drivers
Authors: Clarke Murray Cathryn , Gartner Heidi , Gregr Edward J. , Chan Kai , Pakhomov Evgeny , Therriault Thomas W.
Published: April 2014

Aim

The introduction of potentially invasive species remains a global threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services. The spatial distribution of introduced species can provide insight into present and historical vectors of invasion. Here, we aim to investigate the influence of environmental, demographic and vector variables on the spatial distribution of non‐indigenous species (NIS) in coastal marine ecosystems.

Location

Coastal British Columbia, Canada.

Methods

We used subtidal settlement plates to sample NIS richness at 81 sites. Spatial patterns for seventeen environmental, population, and vector variables were created using a Geographic Information System (GIS). We used multiple regression with model selection and spatial autocorrelation to define a statistical model that best explained the spatial distribution of NIS.

Results

Four variables, salinity, human population density, port arrivals and marina propulsiveness (probability of boater travel from home marina), best explained the observed spatial distribution of subtidal NIS. Aquaculture, an original global introduction pathway, did not significantly explain the contemporary distribution of NIS. Results suggest that recreational boating is the most probable pathway of fouling NIS spread in this region, driving their current distribution. Spatial autocorrelation was significant for environmental, demographic, and aquaculture variables. However, marina propulsiveness and attractiveness were not autocorrelated, suggesting that boater behaviour varies on a finer scale.

Main conclusions

A simple model using a combination of vector, demographic, and environmental characteristics can explain 43.6% of the variation in the spatial distribution of NIS. Our study provides further evidence that recreational boating is a significant pathway for the contemporary spread of NIS in marine environments. With projected increases in human population, we expect a continued rise in introduction rates and spread in this region and elsewhere in the world.
‘When we Walk Out, What was it all About?’: Views on New Beginnings from within the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
Authors: Eltringham Nigel
Published: April 2014

The 1994 United Nations Security Council resolution which created the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) foresaw it marking a ‘new beginning’, both locally (peace and reconciliation in Rwanda) and globally (strengthening the project of international criminal justice). Over time, those who spoke on behalf of the ICTR highlighted the strictly quantifiable (number of arrests, convictions) and the contributions to the global ‘new beginning’ for international criminal justice. Ethnographic fieldwork at the ICTR, however, revealed that lawyers and judges, enmeshed in the Tribunal's institutional order, held diverse views regarding local and global efficacy, refracted through the sense of power(lessness) that accompanied their respective institutional locations. Focusing on the attitude of judges and lawyers to the lack of indictments for members of the Rwandan Patriotic Army for alleged massacres in 1994 and accusations of ‘victor's justice’, this article distinguishes between the ICTR as a disembodied institution that did or did not mark local or global ‘new beginnings’, and the ICTR as a collection of situated persons negotiating their simultaneous empowerment and disempowerment.
The 2011 Toilet Wars in South Africa: Justice and Transition between the Exceptional and the Everyday after Apartheid
Authors: Robins Steven
Published: April 2014

This article analyses the media images and public discourses that surrounded the 2011 ‘open toilet scandal’ or what came to be known as the ‘2011 Toilet Elections’ and the ‘Toilet Wars’. Widely circulated media images of unenclosed modern, porcelain toilets struck a raw nerve as the nation was preparing to vote in local government elections, and produced responses of shock from politicians and ordinary citizens, partly because these images seemed to condense and congeal long historical processes of racism and apartheid. Whereas the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was understood to be the key transitional justice mechanism in the mid‐1990s, by the late 1990s the TRC was no longer at the centre of political life, and its mythology of national reconciliation and ‘new beginnings’ was being widely contested. What replaced it was a ‘messy’ popular politics that was preoccupied with issues relating to land, housing, sanitation, service delivery, labour conditions and employment equity. The TRC's narrowly conceived conception of transitional justice seemed unable to address these struggles to improve conditions of everyday life. The article concludes that these forms of popular politics reveal the limits and possibilities of engaging with the unfinished business of the 1994 democratic transition by developing a localized politics of transitional social justice.
Failure Risk and Quality Cost Management in Single versus Multiple Sourcing Decision
Authors: Yim Andrew
Published: April 2014

The advantage of multiple sourcing to protect against supplier failures arising from undependable products due to latent defects is examined using a model with nonlinear external failure costs. Prior research has focused only on supplier failures arising from unreliable supply, such as late, insufficient, or no delivery. I derive a closed‐form characterization of the optimal production quota allocation for the LUX (Latent defect‐Undependable product‐eXternal failure) setting. The allocation determines the optimal supply base, with intuitive properties that hold under a mild requirement. The requirement includes the special case of equal procurement costs charged by suppliers but also allows unequal costs without any particular order. The key result of the article is a necessary and sufficient condition determining whether single or multiple sourcing is optimal. Another condition is obtained to determine the exact size of the optimal supply base, provided the mild requirement holds. With minor modifications, the results also hold when a buyer‐initiated procurement contract can be used to elicit private information on the suppliers’ unit variable production costs.
Theory Development in Operations Management: Extending the Frontiers of a Mature Discipline via Qualitative Research
Authors: Narasimhan Ram
Published: April 2014

This invited paper discusses theory development in operations management. Many stellar researchers have made excellent contributions to theory development in our field. Operations management is a maturing discipline. Recently, theory driven empirical research has become common in top‐tier journals in our field. Impelled by this trend and due to the path dependency of research, in general, researchers have examined operations phenomena using theories from management and organizational science. How do we extend the frontiers of knowledge in our maturing discipline? How do we develop theories within the field of operations management? In examining some of the seminal ideas that have shaped our field, a common characteristic is that they relied on observational studies and conceptual reasoning. Is it time for us to stress the usefulness of qualitative research methods in our field? Could this lead to an intellectual renewal in our field and extend the frontier of a maturing discipline? This paper explores these questions and advances the notion that qualitative analysis needs to be emphasized more than it has been in recent past. This paper is meant to provoke discussion among empirical researchers in operations management.
Proposal of a new ‘resect and discard’ strategy using magnifying narrow band imaging: Pilot study of diagnostic accuracy
Authors: Takeuchi Yoji , Hanafusa Masao , Kanzaki Hiromitsu , Ohta Takashi , Hanaoka Noboru
Published: April 2014

Background and Aim

A ‘resect and discard’ strategy using non‐magnifying narrow band imaging (N‐NBI) has been proposed for reducing screening colonoscopy costs, but it does not take into consideration advanced histology and magnifying NBI (M‐NBI) that can potentially further improve the ‘resect and discard’ strategy. We conducted a pilot study to investigate the feasibility of M‐NBI for the new ‘resect and discard’ strategy with consideration for advanced histology.

Methods

The present study involved 63 patients. For each polyp, optical diagnosis was independently made using N‐NBI and M‐NBI, a decision (discard or send for pathology) was made based on the M‐NBI findings, and histological and optical diagnosis results were compared.

Results

Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy (95% confidence interval) of M‐NBI for lesions with advanced histology were 1.00 (0.36–1.00), 0.92 (0.91–0.92) and 0.92 (0.90–0.92), respectively. Whereas the management of 86% of small polyps could be decided without formal histopathology, lesions with advanced histology were not discarded using M‐NBI. The diagnostic accuracy of M‐NBI in distinguishing neoplastic from non‐neoplastic lesions was higher than that of N‐NBI.

Conclusions

We propose a new resect and discard strategy with advanced histology using M‐NBI that is a promising strategy to reduce the costs of histopathology and to minimize the risk of discarding important lesions.
Single‐ and double‐balloon enteroscopy‐assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with Roux‐en‐Y plus hepaticojejunostomy anastomosis and Whipple resection
Authors: Itokawa Fumihide , Itoi Takao , Ishii Kentaro , Sofuni Atsushi , Moriyasu Fuminori
Published: April 2014

Background and Aim

In patients with Roux‐en‐Y hepaticojejunostomy (HJ with R‐Y) and Whipple resection, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) can be challenging. We report our experience with ERCP using balloon‐assisted enteroscopy (BAE) (BAE‐ERCP) in patients with HJ with R‐Y, and Whipple resection.

Methods

BAE‐ERCP procedures were carried out in 62 patients (HJ with R‐Y : Whipple resection = 34:28).

Results

Overall, the rates of reaching the anastomosis were 85.3% (29/34) in HJ with R‐Y and 96.4% (27/28) in Whipple resection. In terms of HJ with R‐Y, insertion success rate by standard single‐balloon enteroscopy (SBE) was 89.3% (25/28). Insertion success rate by short BAE, including SBE and double‐balloon enteroscopy (DBE), was 50% (3/6). There was a statistically significant difference of insertion success rate between standard long BE and short BE (P = 0.021). However, in the Whipple patients, insertion success rate by standard and short SBE was 93.8% (15/16) and 91.7% (11/12), respectively. Initial insertion success rate by short BAE in Whipple patients was significantly higher than in HJ with R‐Y (91.7% vs 50%, P = 0.045). Therapeutic interventions included dilation of anastomosis stricture, stone extraction, endoscopic mechanical lithotripsy, biliary stent placement, stent extraction, endoscopic nasobiliary drainage, direct cholangioscopy, and electrohydraulic lithotripsy. Our HJ with R‐Y series and Whipple series treatment success rate was 90% (18/20) and 95.0% (19/20), respectively.

Conclusions

BAE‐ERCP enabled ERCP to be carried out in patients with HJ. It is considered safe and feasible. Further experience and device improvement are needed.
Current management of diminutive colorectal polyps in Taiwan
Authors: Chiu Han‐Mo , Chang Li‐Chun , Shun Chia‐Tung , Wu Ming‐Shiang , Wang Hsiu‐Po
Published: April 2014

The majority of polyps detected during colonoscopy are diminutive polyps, for which the cost of pathological analysis is substantial. In our analysis of a screening cohort of 10 737 subjects undergoing screening colonoscopy, a total of 15 877 neoplastic lesions were detected, of which 10 816 (68.1%) were diminutive lesions. Of those diminutive lesions, 90 (0.83%) had a villous component, 14 (0.1%) had high‐grade dysplasia, and none had invasive cancer. Only 1.3% of patients were advised to decrease their surveillance interval because of unfavorable histology. Laws regulating medical practice, uncertainty regarding the accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis of diminutive polyps outside of academic centers, and the relatively low cost of pathological analysis are among the barriers to adopting a ‘resect and discard’ practice in Taiwan.
Therapeutic outcomes of endoscopic resection for superficial non‐ampullary duodenal tumor
Authors: Yamamoto Yorimasa , Yoshizawa Natsuko , Tomida Hideomi , Fujisaki Junko , Igarashi Masahiro
Published: April 2014

Background and Aim

Endoscopic resection (ER) is widely used as a minimally invasive therapy to remove superficial non‐ampullary duodenal tumor (SNADT). However, the indication criteria have not yet been clearly determined. At our institute, ER is done only for SNADT measuring ≤20 mm. We report our findings on the therapeutic outcomes of ER of SNADT.

Methods

We carried out ER in 47 patients with SNADT. Indication criteria for ER included a lesion suspected as high‐grade dysplasia or mucosal cancer and measuring ≤20 mm. The ER methods used to carry out en bloc resection were endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR: 17 lesions) or endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD: 30 lesions). We then analyzed the therapeutic outcomes between them.

Results

There were no significant differences between the EMR and ESD groups with regard to age, sex, location of the lesion, and histology. The most frequent gross types resected by EMR and ESD were 0‐IIa and 0‐IIc, respectively (P = 0.004). Median procedure time was significantly longer in ESD than in EMR, 79.5 and 9 min, respectively (P < 0.001). R0 resection was achieved in 10 cases by EMR (59%) and in 27 cases by ESD (90%) (P = 0.017). No complications occurred in cases that underwent EMR, but immediate and delayed perforations occurred in three patients who underwent ESD, although this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.467).

Conclusion

Using our indication criteria, which limited lesion size to ≤20 mm, satisfactory therapeutic outcomes of ER of SNADT were obtained.
Development and progression of colorectal cancer based on follow‐up analysis
Authors: Hisabe Takashi , Hirai Fumihito , Matsui Toshiyuki
Published: April 2014

Elucidating the pathway of colorectal cancer development and progression can lead to identification of lesions that must be treated appropriately. The aim of the present review was to summarize the development and progression of colorectal cancer based on radiological and endoscopic follow‐up analyses. These studies revealed several characteristic findings, including that initial morphology with progression to advanced cancer was most commonly 0‐Is, followed by 0‐IIa. Based on the doubling time, 0‐Ip grew slowly in comparison with other morphologies. The observation period from adenomas measuring <10 mm to intramucosal cancers was more than 5 years. This makes it difficult to draw any accurate conclusions about the natural history of colorectal cancer based on follow‐up observation alone and it is difficult to exclude the selection bias because of the difficulty of follow up for flat and depressed tumor. However, the only reliable way to elucidate the natural history is to accumulate cases.
Endoscopic tissue shielding method with polyglycolic acid sheets and fibrin glue to prevent delayed perforation after duodenal endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Takimoto Kengo , Imai Yoshihito , Matsuyama Kiichi
Published: April 2014

Delayed perforation after duodenal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) occurs at a high rate because the duodenal wall is very thin and the artificial ulcer after resection is exposed to bile and pancreatic juice. We investigated the application of the combination of a polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet and fibrin glue. PGA sheets comprise materials widely used in surgery for absorbable thread. Fibrin glue is a heated blood product and is used for hemostasis during operations. We developed a combined method using both materials. We have used this method in two cases. One case involved an elevated lesion located in the lower duodenal angle of the duodenum. The other involved an elevated lesion in the second portion of the duodenum. About 1 week after ESD, the PGA sheets remained covering the ulcer and delayed perforation did not occur. We were able to easily carry out this method for several parts of the duodenum. This method may be helpful for the prevention of delayed perforation after duodenal ESD.
Access to Medicines and Distributive Justice: Breaching Doha's Ethical Threshold
Authors: Kiddell‐Monroe Rachel
Published: April 2014

The global health crisis in non‐communicable diseases (NCDs) reveals a deep global health inequity that lies at the heart of global justice concerns. Mirroring the HIV/AIDS epidemic, NCDs bring into stark relief once more the human consequences of trade policies that reinforce global inequities in treatment access. Recognising distributive justice issues in access to medicines for their populations, World Trade Organisation (WTO) members confirmed the primacy of access to medicines for all in trade and public health in the landmark Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health of 2001.
Patent Funded Access to Medicines
Authors: Andreassen Tom
Published: April 2014

Instead of impeding access to essential medicines in developing countries, the essay explores why and how patents can serve as a source of funding for the much needed access to medicine. Instead of a weakening of patents, prolonged protection periods are suggested in circumstances where there is widespread lack of access. The revenues from extended patents are seen as a source of funding for drug donations to the least developed countries.
Between Relativism and Imperialism: Navigating Moral Diversity in Cross‐Cultural Bioethics
Authors: Beck Daniel
Published: April 2014

The need for explicit theoretical reflection on cross‐cultural bioethics continues to grow as the spread of communication technologies and increased human migration has made interactions between medical professionals and patients from different cultural backgrounds much more common. I claim that this need presents us with the following dilemma. On the one hand, we do not want to operate according to an imperialist ethical framework that denies and silences the legitimacy of cultural values other than our own. On the other hand, we do not want to backslide into a form of cultural relativism that is unable to critically appraise cultural practices that are harmful, unjust, or oppressive. I examine two prominent attempts – the principlism of Tom Beauchamp and James Childress and the Contractarianism of Robert Baker – to frame cross‐cultural bioethics between these two extremes and argue that both approaches have significant flaws. The principlist approach fails to provide a non‐question begging way to identify cross‐cultural norms that does not already assume the universal legitimacy of moral principles dominant in North American society. Baker's contractarianism cannot grapple with the realities of political power imbalances that often characterize cross‐cultural moral disputes. I suggest that a naturalized feminist framework, though not free of its own theoretical difficulties, provides the best alternative for approaching moral diversity respectfully and critically.
Variation in the trophic position of common stream fishes and its relationship to the presence of a rare fish, northern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda copei)
Authors: Wesner Jeff S. , Belk Mark C.
Published: April 2014

Variation in trophic position can be caused by structural changes in food webs that may affect the presence of, or be affected by the presence of, individual species. We examined variation in the trophic position of fishes across 14 stream sites in the Bear River drainage, WY, USA. This drainage is the focus of ongoing conservation of northern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda copei). Our goals were (i) to describe variation in trophic position of individual species and (ii) to determine whether these measures differed between sites with and without northern leatherside chub. Mean trophic position of individual fish species varied between 0 and 3 trophic positions across sites. For two of these species, trophic position declined at sites without northern leatherside chub. Importantly, habitat surveys from a previous study at 10 of these sites revealed no differences in habitat suitability for northern leatherside chub. This suggests that trophic position revealed systematic differences among sites that were not apparent based on traditional species‐habitat modelling. We outline possible mechanisms behind these patterns and argue that monitoring variation in trophic position can complement traditional, habitat‐based methods for understanding species distributions.
Mantle cell lymphoma and diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma of the testis: a unique case of composite non‐Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Andhavarapu Swati , Crozier Jennifer A. , Jiang Liuyan , Sher Taimur
Published: April 2014

Primary testicular non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a rare entity with the most common histologic subtype consisting of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Patients with primary testicular lymphoma (PTL) have a poor prognosis and a higher propensity for relapse. Also rare are composite lymphomas (CL) defined as two or more morphologically and phenotypically distinct lymphomas coexisting in a single organ or tissue. Here we present the first reported case of primary testicular composite lymphoma consisting of DLBCL and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
Rasburicase‐induced methemoglobinemia in two African–American female patients: an under‐recognized and continued problem
Authors: Roberts Daniel A. , Freed Jason A.
Published: April 2014

Rasburicase‐induced methemoglobinemia is a known adverse effect of patients administered rasburicase for tumor lysis syndrome who have concomitant glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. This phenomenon has been described in multiple case reports but has been limited to male patients. We present the first case series illustrating this adverse effect in two female patients where morbidity and mortality associated with rasburicase‐induced methemoglobinemia were evident. Screening protocols at the reporting institutions were lacking. The prevalence of G6PD may be underestimated based on the epidemiology of sample subjects in previous studies of rasburicase. We argue that both male and female patients should be suspected of G6PD in this setting; however, more data on prevalence and cost‐effectiveness are needed on screening protocols for G6PD.
A topographic anatomical study of the equine epiploic foramen and comparison with laparoscopic visualisation
Authors: van Bergen T. , Doom M. , van den Broeck W. , Wiemer P. , Clegg P. D. , Cornillie P. , Martens A.
Published: April 2014

Reasons for performing study

There are no previous studies correlating the anatomy of the equine epiploic foramen and its defining structures with laparoscopic images.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to describe the precise anatomy of the epiploic foramen and omental vestibule, to quantify the dimensions of the epiploic foramen and to relate these findings to laparoscopic images.

Study design

Descriptive study of cadaver material and laparoscopic images.

Methods

Thirty‐two horses subjected to euthanasia for reasons unrelated to colic were studied. Two cadavers were used to make vascular casts of the coeliac artery and portal vein. In 30 cadavers the epiploic foramen and omental vestibule were cast with a polyurethane prepolymer immediately after euthanasia. The cast served as a landmark during dissection and the circumference of the epiploic foramen was measured from these casts. Histology was performed on structures defining the epiploic foramen in 2 horses. Laparoscopic images from 6 standing right flank procedures were reviewed.

Results

The defining structures of the epiploic foramen and omental vestibule are the hepatoduodenal ligament, hepatogastric ligament and the gastropancreatic and hepatopancreatic folds. The hepatoduodenal ligament has a secondary fold which forms the ventral border of the epiploic foramen, consisting of a central connective tissue core of mainly elastin fibres. The hepatic artery for part of its course is incorporated in the hepatoduodenal ligament. All these structures are clearly visible laparoscopically. The mean circumference of the epiploic foramen is 11.6 ± 2.6 cm and its circumference is positively correlated with body weight but is unrelated to age or gender.

Conclusions

Several clinically relevant structures delineate the epiploic foramen. Its defining structure consists, in part, of elastin fibres. Anatomical and laparoscopic knowledge may assist surgeons in developing interventions to treat diseases involving the epiploic foramen.