bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is preoperative ciliary body and iris anatomical configuration a predictor of malignant glaucoma development?
Authors: Prata Tiago S , Dorairaj Syril , De Moraes Carlos GV , Mehta Siddhart , Sbeity Zaher , Tello Celso , Liebmann Jeffrey , Ritch Robert
Published: December 2012

Background

To investigate anatomical configuration of ciliary body and iris using ultrasound biomicroscopy as a predictor of malignant glaucoma development.

Design

Retrospective study in a tertiary care hospital.

Participants

Cohort of 31 consecutive patients diagnosed with post‐surgical malignant glaucoma.

Methods

Anterior chamber angle, iris and ciliary body configuration of involved eyes that had ultrasound biomicroscopy evaluation prior to the malignant glaucoma onset were evaluated. In cases with no presurgical ultrasound biomicroscopy exam of the involved eye, images from the fellow eye (imaged within 6 months) were analysed.

Main Outcome Measures

Qualitative parameters.

Results

Thirty‐one eyes (31 patients) had confirmed malignant glaucoma between 1996 and 2008. Most patients were women (65%) and had an anatomical narrow angle or angle‐closure glaucoma (77%). Mean intraocular pressure at diagnosis was 30.4 ± 13.5 mmHg. The most common operation was trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (55%, 17/31 eyes), combined (3/17) or not (14/17) with cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation. Among these 31 cases, we were able to evaluate the ultrasound biomicroscopy images of 13 patients (13 eyes) including involved eyes imaged prior to the malignant glaucoma onset or eligible fellow eyes. A narrow angle with or without iridotrabecular contact was found in all eyes. A large and/or anteriorly positioned ciliary body associated with an iris root angulating forward and centrally, revealing a plateau iris configuration, was noticed in 85% (11/13) of these eyes.

Conclusion

Identification of plateau iris configuration by ultrasound biomicroscopy should be considered as a possible predictor of post‐operative malignant glaucoma development.
Efficacy and safety of collagen matrix implants in phacotrabeculectomy and comparison with mitomycin C augmented phacotrabeculectomy at 1 year
Authors: Narayanaswamy Arun , Perera Shamira A , Htoon Hla M , Hoh Sek‐Tien , Seah Steve K , Wong Tina T , Aung Tin
Published: December 2012

Background

To assess the efficacy and safety of collagen matrix implant (Ologen) in phacotrabeculectomy.

Design

Prospective, non‐randomized, comparative study.

Participants

Sixty‐six Asian patients.

Methods

Thirty three consecutive patients underwent phacotrabeculectomy with Ologen implant and intraocular lens implantation, and 33 subjects recruited as controls underwent surgery with mitomycin C augmentation.

Main Outcome Measures

The primary outcome measure was postoperative intraocular pressure at month 12. Additional postoperative treatments, such as bleb needling, and adverse events were secondary outcomes.

Results

The overall percentage reduction in intraocular pressure was 13% (95% confidence interval 6.7–19.2) in the Ologen group and 26% (95% confidence interval 14.8–37.9) in the mitomycin C group (P = 0.05). At 1 year after surgery (after adjusting for baseline differences), intraocular pressure decreased by 4.2 mmHg (95% confidence interval 2.8–5.6 mmHg) and 5.6 mmHg (95% confidence interval 4.2–7.0 mmHg), respectively (P = 0.16). Needling with 5‐fluorouracil was required more often in the Ologen group (39% vs. 6%; P = 0.003). There was similar frequency (<10%) of adverse events in both groups, and there were no complications directly related to the Ologen implant. The blebs in the mitomycin C group had greater central area (P = 0.005), maximal area (P = 0.01) and height (P = 0.005), and were less vascular (P = 0.023) than the Ologen blebs.

Conclusions

At 1 year, the overall performance of Ologen in combined phacotrabeculectomy was suboptimal compared with combined surgery with mitomycin C. Eyes in the Ologen group required more frequent bleb needling procedures.
‘Coming Out’ to ‘Hit the Road’: Temporal, Spatial and Affective Mobilities of Taxi Drivers and Day Trippers inKunming,China
Authors: NOTAR BETH E.
Published: December 2012

This article examines how people narrate the relationship between physical and socioeconomic mobility in contemporary urbanChina. To do so, it looks at the mobility of two different groups of drivers in the southwesternChinese city ofKunming: taxi drivers and “day trippers.” While a taxi driver and a day tripper engage in the same activity of driving their own vehicles, their experiences of mobility, their status identity and their views of the country and the city diverge due to their differently embodied practices in time as well as in space. The comparison underscores that there is nothing inherent in the relationship between mobility, status and freedom.
Patients’ perspectives on zirconia and titanium implants with a novel distribution supporting maxillary and mandibular overdentures: a qualitative study
Authors: Osman Reham B. , Morgaine Kate C. , Duncan Warwick , Swain Michael V. , Ma Sunyoung
Published: December 2012

Objectives

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of edentulous patients regarding their rehabilitation with maxillary and mandibular implant‐supported overdentures employing a protocol that featured novel implant sites and distribution.

Material and Methods

In‐depth semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants who have taken part in a randomized controlled trial. Each received implant overdentures supported by either titanium or zirconia one‐piece implants. Participants received four implants in the maxilla and three implants in the mandible. The implant distribution was: in the maxilla, a mid‐palatal implant, and three anterior implants in the incisor and first premolar regions; in the mandible, a mid‐symphseal implant, and bilateral distal implants in the first molar region. All interviews were conducted by a researcher not involved with the clinical aspect of the randomized controlled trial and were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a thematic inductive analysis approach.

Results

The perceived advantages of the treatment were functional improvement and increased social confidence. Cost was a significant barrier for edentulous patients seeking implant treatment. Previous experience with complete dentures, age and length of treatment was further factors that influenced decisions regarding prosthodontic rehabilitation. The novel implant protocol was acceptable to patients.

Conclusions

Implant overdentures improve the quality of life of edentulous patients. Acceptance of dental implants may be increased by mitigating the cost of treatment. The mid‐palatal implant site may be a potential alternative to extensive surgical procedures during the prosthodontic rehabilitation of atrophic maxillary ridges. The mandibular design offers patients the advantages of a removable prosthesis with increased retention.
Simvastatin Induces Neuroprotection in 6‐OHDA‐Lesioned PC12 via the PI3K/AKT/Caspase 3 Pathway and Anti‐Inflammatory Responses
Authors: Xu Yun‐Qi , Long Ling , Yan Jun‐Qiang , Wei Lei , Pan Meng‐Qiu , Gao Hui‐Min , Zhou Peng , Liu Mei , Zhu Can‐Sheng , Tang Bei‐Sha , Wang Qing
Published: December 2012

Background

In addition to their original applications for lowering cholesterol, statins display multiple neuroprotective effects. Inflammatory reactions and the PI3K/AKT/caspase 3 pathway are strongly implicated in dopaminergic neuronal death in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aims to investigate how simvastatin affects 6‐hydroxydopamine‐lesioned PC12 via regulating PI3K/AKT/caspase 3 and modulating inflammatory mediators.

Methods

6‐hydroxydopamine‐treated PC12 cells were used to investigate the neuroprotection of simvastatin, its association with the PI3K/AKT/caspase 3 pathway, and antiinflammatory responses. Dopamine transporters (DAT) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were examined in 6‐hydroxydopamine‐treated PC12 after simvastatin treatment.

Results

Simvastatin‐mediated neuroprotection was associated with a robust reduction in the upregulation induced by 6‐OHDA of inflammatory mediators including IL‐6, COX2, and TNF‐α. The downregulated DAT and TH levels in 6‐OHDA‐lesioned PC12 were restored after simvastatin treatment. Simvastatin reversed 6‐OHDA‐induced downregulation of PI3K/Akt phosphorylation and attenuated 6‐OHDA‐induced upregulation of caspase 3 in PC12. Furthermore, the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 pronouncedly abolished the simvastatin‐mediated attenuation in caspase 3.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that simvastatin provides robust neuroprotection against dopaminergic neurodegeneration, partially via antiinflammatory mechanisms and the PI3K/Akt/caspase 3 pathway. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the critical roles of simvastatin in treating PD and might elucidate the molecular mechanisms of simvastatin effects in PD.
The Intergenerational Transmission of Gender Role Attitudes and its Implications for Female Labour Force Participation
Authors: Farré Lídia , Vella Francis
Published: December 2012

Using a sample of mother–child pairs from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, we study the economics of cultural transmission regarding women's roles. We find that a mother's attitudes have a statistically significant effect on those of her children. Furthermore, we find a strong association between the attitudes of sons in their youth and their wives' labour supply as adults. For daughters, the association between their own attitudes and adult work outcomes is weaker and seems to operate through the educational channel. Our findings indicate that cultural transmission contributes to heterogeneity in the labour supply of women.
Education Externalities on Longevity
Authors: Ricci Francesco , Zachariadis Marios
Published: December 2012

We argue that education exerts positive external effects on health, beyond the standard internal effects documented in the literature. We implement an innovative approach to control for endogeneity and omitted variables problems, and present evidence for the significant role played by higher education in explaining longevity across countries. Our findings provide empirical evidence in support of our hypothesis of educational externalities on health.
Kant on Dignity and Education
Authors: Giesinger Johannes
Published: December 2012

In this essay, Johannes Giesinger discusses the educational significance of Immanuel Kant's conception of human dignity. According to Kant, Giesinger claims, children can and should be educated for dignity: on the one hand, children realize their dignity by developing the capacity for moral autonomy; on the other hand, this capacity can only evolve if children's sense of their own dignity — that is, their self‐respect — is awakened. Educating children means, for Kant, helping them to develop a proper relation with themselves and thereby become moral persons.
Considering the Artistry and Epistemology of Tacit Knowledge and Knowing
Authors: Toom Auli
Published: December 2012

The concepts of tacit knowledge and tacit knowing have been of interest to philosophers and epistemologists as well as behavioral and social scientists. The tacit dimension can be found in both individual and collective practices in versatile, implicit, informal, and unintentional ways. There is no clear, broadly accepted definition of tacit knowledge, but rather its complexity and ambiguity are generally acknowledged. In this essay, Auli Toom begins by presenting some general definitions of tacit knowledge and knowing, and she then draws on four perspectives to construct a more thorough understanding of these concepts. According to Toom, tacit knowledge can be considered using either its philosophical foundations or psychological foundations. In addition, tacit knowledge can be understood as an accumulated product of thinking and action, and also as a process during action. Toom observes further that while tacit knowledge is perceived as an individual and personally accumulated knowledge base, its collective and organizational characteristics are widely recognized. Toom concludes by considering the situational and contextual nature of tacit knowledge.
Visual response of neurons in the lateral intraparietal area and saccadic reaction time during a visual detection task
Authors: Tanaka Tomohiro , Nishida Satoshi , Aso Toshihiko , Ogawa Tadashi
Published: December 2012

During visual detection with saccades, a target with higher luminance is detected with reduced reaction times. In such visual detection behaviors, luminance‐related sensory signals should be converted into movement‐related signals for saccade initiation. At the site where the visuomotor transformation takes place, there is the possibility that visual activity not only encodes the target luminance but also affects the generation of an upcoming saccade. To assess this possibility, we recorded single‐cell activity from visually responsive neurons in the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) when monkeys made a saccade to an isolated target over five luminance levels. We found that as stimulus luminance increased, visual response strength increased, and response onset latency decreased. These luminance‐related changes in activity were significantly correlated with changes in reaction time. In particular, changes in response onset latency accounted for a substantial part of the observed changes in reaction time, suggesting that luminance‐related changes in response onset latency may propagate to the saccade generation process. However, the length of time from response onset to saccade onset was not constant but increased as luminance was reduced, suggesting the existence of other luminance‐dependent processing in downstream and/or parallel pathways before saccade generation. Additionally, we failed to find strong covariance between response strength or latency and reaction time when the effect of luminance changes was removed. Thus, the present results reveal how visually responsive LIP neurons contribute to saccade generation in visual detection.
Interictal and periictal headache in patients with epilepsy
Authors: Duchaczek B. , Ghaeni L. , Matzen J. , Holtkamp M.
Published: December 2012

Background and purpose

Interictal headache (IIH), and in particular migraine, is considered a relevant co‐morbidity in epilepsy; however, available data are ambiguous. Periictal headache (PIH) displays a frequent ancillary burden to seizures, but identification of unequivocal predictors is still elusive.

Methods

All patients (≥ 18 years) with epilepsy or unprovoked seizures seen in a tertiary epilepsy outpatient clinic underwent a semi‐structured interview regarding occurrence and characteristics of IIH and PIH. Clinical variables in patients with and without IIH and PIH and seizure types with and without PIH were compared.

Results

Out of 201 patients, 56.2% reported headache, IIH occurred in 34.3% and 10.9% suffered from migraine. PIH was reported by 35.3%, occurring preictally in 16 and postictally in 61 cases. PIH character was migrainous in 26.8% and tension‐type headache‐like in 62%, mean severity was 6.1 ± 2.2 cm. PIH was treated analgetically by less than 40% of patients, only 11% sought specific medical advice. Predictors were low age at epilepsy onset (OR 0.963, 95% CI 0.945–0.981, P < 0.0001), antiepileptic drug (AED) polytherapy (OR 1.943, 95% CI 1.046–3.612, P = 0.036) and generalized tonic‐clonic seizures (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

In patients with epilepsy, IIH, and particularly migraine, is less common than expected, challenging the widely held concept of co‐morbidity of the two conditions. PIH is frequent, severe and undertreated. Predictors include low age at epilepsy onset, AED polytherapy and tonic‐clonic generalized seizures. Physicians should ask for PIH and offer specific analgesic treatment. To confirm these findings, future studies with a prospective approach implementing a headache and seizure diary should be performed.
Panic Disorder and Migraine: Comorbidity, Mechanisms, and Clinical Implications
Authors: Smitherman Todd A. , Kolivas Elizabeth D. , Bailey Jennifer R.
Published: December 2012

A growing body of literature suggests that comorbid anxiety disorders are more common and more prognostically relevant among migraine sufferers than comorbid depression. Panic disorder (PD) appears to be more strongly associated with migraine than most other anxiety disorders. PD and migraine are both chronic diseases with episodic manifestations, involving significant functional impairment and shared symptoms during attacks, interictal anxiety concerning future attacks, and an absence of identifiable secondary pathology. A meta‐analysis of high‐quality epidemiologic study data from 1990 to 2012 indicates that the odds of PD are 3.76 times greater among individuals with migraine than those without. This association remains significant even after controlling for demographic variables and comorbid depression. Other less‐rigorous community and clinical studies confirm these findings. The highest rates of PD are found among migraine with aura patients and those presenting to specialty clinics. Presence of PD is associated with greater negative impact of migraine, including more frequent attacks, increased disability, and risk for chronification and medication overuse. The mechanisms underlying this common comorbidity are poorly understood, but both pathophysiological (eg, serotonergic dysfunction, hormonal influences, dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis) and psychological (eg, interoceptive conditioning, fear of pain, anxiety sensitivity, avoidance behavior) factors are implicated. Means of assessing comorbid PD among treatment‐seeking migraineurs are reviewed, including verbal screening for core PD symptoms, ruling out medical conditions with panic‐like features, and administering validated self‐report measures. Finally, evidence‐based strategies for both pharmacologic and behavioral management are outlined. The first‐line migraine prophylactics are not indicated for PD, and the selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitors used to treat PD are not efficacious for migraine; thus, separate agents are often required to address each condition. Core components of behavioral treatments for PD are reviewed, and their integration into clinical headache practice is discussed.
Migraine and Cognitive Decline: A Topical Review
Authors: Rist Pamela M. , Kurth Tobias
Published: December 2012

Migraine has been linked with an increased risk of stroke and an increased prevalence of clinically silent brain lesions and white‐matter hyperintensities. As it is known that stroke and structural brain lesions are associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline, it has been hypothesized that migraine may be a progressive brain disorder and associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment. Given the prevalence of migraine in the population, especially among women, and the aging of the population, an association between migraine and cognitive impairment would have substantial public health implications. In this review, we will summarize the existing evidence evaluating the association between migraine and cognitive function. Additionally, we will discuss methodological issues in migraine and cognitive function assessment and elaborate on study design strategies to address this important question.
16th IHIW: Immunogenomic Data‐Management Methods. Report from the Immunogenomic Data Analysis Working Group (IDAWG)
Authors: Hollenbach J. A. , Holcomb C. , Hurley C. K. , Mabdouly A. , Maiers M. , Noble J. A. , Robinson J. , Schmidt A. H. , Shi L. , Turner V. , Yao Y. , Mack S. J.
Published: December 2012

The goal of the immunogenomic data analysis working group (IDAWG) is to facilitate the consistent analysis of HLA and KIR data, and the sharing of those data among the immunogenomic and larger genomic communities. However, the data management approaches currently applied by immunogenomic researchers are not widely discussed or reported in the literature, and the effect of different approaches on data analyses is not known. With ASHI's support, the IDAWG developed a 45 question survey on HLA and KIR data generation, data management and data analysis practices. Survey questions detailed the loci genotyped, typing systems used, nomenclature versions reported, computer operating systems and software used to manage and transmit data, the approaches applied to resolve HLA ambiguity and the methods used for basic population‐level analyses. Respondents were invited to demonstrate their HLA ambiguity resolution approaches in simulated data sets. By May 2012, 156 respondents from 35 nations had completed the survey. These survey respondents represent a broad sampling of the Immunogenomic community; 52% were European, 30% North American, 10% Asian, 4% South American and 4% from the Pacific. The project will continue in conjunction with the 17th Workshop, with the aim of developing community data sharing standards, ambiguity resolution documentation formats, single‐task data Management tools and novel data analysis methods and applications. While additional project details and plans for the 17th IHIW will be forthcoming, we welcome the input and participation in these projects from the histocompatibility and immunogenetics community.
16th IHIW: Population Global Distribution of Killer Immunoglobulin‐like Receptor (KIR) and Ligands
Authors: Hollenbach J. A. , Augusto D. G. , Alaez C. , Bubnova L. , Fae I. , Fischer G. , Gonzalez‐Galarza F. F. , Gorodezky C. , Karabon L. , Kusnierczyk P. , Noble J. , Rickards O. , Roberts C. , Schaffer M. , Shi L. , Tavoularis S. , Trachtenberg E. , Yao Y. , Middleton D.
Published: December 2012

In the last fifteen years, published reports have described KIR gene‐content frequency distributions in more than 120 populations worldwide. However, there have been limited studies examining these data in aggregate to detect overall patterns of variation at regional and global levels. Here, we present a summary of the collection of KIR gene‐content data for 105 worldwide populations collected as part of the 15th and 16th International Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Workshops, and preliminary results for data analysis.
Fertility Change among Post-1989 Immigrants to Israel from the Former Soviet Union
Authors: Okun Barbara S. , Kagya Shlomit
Published: December 2012

Research on the evolution of immigrant fertility patterns has focused on the expected reduction in fertility among immigrants from high fertility, less developed countries who arrive in relatively low-fertility developed societies. The current research considers a different context in which immigrants from the low-fertility Former Soviet Union arrive in a relatively high-fertility setting in Israel. This research context allows us to test various theories of immigrant fertility, which cannot normally be distinguished empirically. Results from Cox multivariate regressions of parity-specific progression do not support assimilation theory, which would predict an increase in fertility following migration, in this context. We interpret the very low fertility rates of the FSU immigrants in Israel, relative to all relevant comparison groups, in terms of the economic uncertainty and hardship experienced during a difficult transition period by immigrants who have high aspirations for social mobility in their destination society.
Surveillance for antiviral resistance
Authors: Zambon Maria C.
Published: December 2012

Please cite this paper as: Zambon. (2012) Surveillance for antiviral resistance. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(Suppl. 1), 37–43.

In the 10 years since licensure of neuraminidase inhibitor drugs, their use has steadily increased, especially during the pandemic of 2009. Experience now indicates that factors which influence the emergence of high level resistance include the nature of drug binding to target, viral subtype, the use of post exposure prophylaxis and a lack of immunity in the host as seen in children and immunocompromised individuals. These factors point towards targetted surveillance programmes for the early identification of transmissible drug resistance.
A retrospective review of methotrexate‐induced hepatotoxicity among patients with psoriasis in a tertiary dermatology center in Malaysia
Authors: Ng Lim Chui , Lee Yin Yin , Lee Chew Kek , Wong Su‐ming
Published: December 2012

Background  Methotrexate (MTX) is a common and efficacious systemic agent used for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis. Nevertheless, its use is associated with the risk of hepatotoxicity. This study was performed to study the association of MTX dose with regards to hepatotoxicity as evidenced by deranged transaminases.

Methods  This was a retrospective review of patients with psoriasis on MTX from 2000 to 2009 at the outpatient dermatology clinic, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). We analyzed patients’ demography, serial laboratory investigations, liver ultrasounds, and liver biopsies of patients on MTX.

Results  Sixty‐six of 710 (9.30%) patients with psoriasis were prescribed MTX throughout the 10‐year period. Among them 57.6% developed deranged transaminases, with six requiring MTX withdrawal due to hepatotoxicity. The mean cumulative dose of MTX at the detection of liver enzyme derangement was 552.3 ± 596.1 mg.

Conclusion  A high proportion of patients on MTX had deranged transaminases. However, the number of serious events was low. We concluded from this study that the use of MTX is relatively safe in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.
Dermatology life quality index scores in children with vitiligo: comparison with atopic dermatitis and healthy control subjects
Authors: Dertlioğlu Selma Bakar , Cicek Demet , Balci Didem D. , Halisdemir Nurhan
Published: December 2012

Vitiligo and atopic dermatitis (AD) are two major cutaneous diseases that affect quality of life (QoL) by causing functional and psychosocial disorders. Our objective was to calculate Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) scores in children with vitiligo and to compare these values with those in AD patients and healthy control subjects. The CDLQI was completed for 50 vitiligo and 50 AD patients presenting at the dermatology polyclinic, as well as for 50 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. All subgroups in the vitiligo patient group had significantly higher total CDLQI scores than healthy controls. Vitiligo patients were found to have increased scores on all parameters, except itch, clothes/shoes, and sleep, compared with the AD patient group. Scores on itch and sleep were significantly higher in the AD group than in the vitiligo patients. Quality of life in children with vitiligo is substantially lower than in children with AD. This decline in QoL is critical in the psychosocial development of the former group.
Merkel cell carcinoma with sarcomatous differentiation: is it a poor prognostic factor?
Authors: Gomez‐Moyano Elisabeth , Vera‐Casaño Ángel , Sanz‐Trelles Andrés , Martinez Leandro
Published: December 2012

Background  Poor prognostic factors in Merkel cell carcinoma include male sex, advanced stage at diagnosis, large tumor size (>5 mm), diffuse growth pattern, heavy lymphocytic infiltrate, and high mitotic rate. To date only six cases of Merkel cell carcinoma with sarcomatous or pseudosarcomatous differentiation and poor prognosis have been documented.

Methods  We present a new case of Merkel cell carcinoma with sarcomatous differentiation.

Results  The immunohistochemical staining patterns reflected the morphologic differentiation of the epithelial and sarcomatous pattern. After two months of follow‐up, there were no signs of local recurrence or metastases.

Conclusion  In all cases of merkelomas with sarcomatous differentiation described to date, lymph node metastases have been found, except in the presented case. However, larger series of cases will be required to determine if sarcomatous differentiation represents another negative prognostic factor.
Marked improvement in delirium with ramelteon: five case reports
Authors: FURUYA Motohide , MIYAOKA Tsuyoshi , YASUDA Hideaki , YAMASHITA Satoko , TANAKA Ippei , OTSUKA Shoko , WAKE Rei , HORIGUCHI Jun
Published: December 2012

Delirium is a common and serious acute neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by inattention and global cognitive dysfunction. Delirium is associated with higher morbidity, higher mortality and longer hospitalization, but its aetiology remains unclear. We successfully treated five cases of delirium within 1 day with ramelteon, a novel selective melatonin receptor agonist. This suggests that correction of the circadian rhythm disturbance, one of the main symptoms of delirium, plays a crucial role in its treatment and sheds new light on a therapeutic strategy for treatment of delirium.
Neuropsychological and functional correlates of clock‐drawing test in elderly institutionalized patients with schizophrenia
Authors: OKAMURA Aiko , KITABAYASHI Yurinosuke , KOHIGASHI Mutsumi , SHIBATA Keisuke , ISHIDA Takuya , NARUMOTO Jin , MORIOKA Chizuru , KITABAYASHI Masaki , KASHIMA Akiko , TANI Naosuke , NAKAAKI Shutaro , MIMURA Masaru , FUKUI Kenji
Published: December 2012

Background:  There has been a growing need for a cognitive assessment tool that can be used for older adults with schizophrenia in clinical settings. The clock‐drawing test (CDT) is a brief cognitive test that covers a wide range of cognitive function. Although it is widely used to assess patients with dementia, limited data are available on its usefulness in older patients with schizophrenia. Thus, we investigated the psychometric properties of the CDT and their relationship with life functions to examine the test's usefulness for assessing cognitive function in older adults with schizophrenia.

Methods:  Seventy‐three older adults with chronic schizophrenia who had been hospitalized for over 1 year participated in the study. We adopted the executive clock‐drawing task for administration and scoring of the CDT, which consists of free‐drawn and copy conditions. The Mini‐Mental State Examination and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia were administered. Symptom severity and life functions were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Life Skills Profile, respectively.

Results:  Both free‐drawn and copy scores significantly correlated with the Mini‐Mental State Examination score and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia composite score. These scores also significantly correlated with symptom severity and length of current hospitalization. Stepwise regression analysis showed that only the copy score, together with symptom severity, predicted the Life Skills Profile score.

Conclusions:  The CDT can assess cognitive function in older adults with schizophrenia. Moreover, CDT performance is associated with life functions independent from other clinical variables. These results suggest that the CDT is a useful cognitive assessment tool for this population.
The peripheral messenger RNA expression of glycogen synthase kinase‐3β genes in Alzheimer's disease patients: a preliminary study
Authors: SHENG Jian‐Hua , NG Tze‐Pin , LI Chun‐Bo , LU Guang‐Hua , HE Wei , QIAN Yi‐Ping , WANG Jing‐Hua , YU Shun‐Ying
Published: December 2012

Objective:  To explore the peripheral leucocytic messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK‐3β) gene in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

Methods:  Using TaqMan relative quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, we analyzed leucocytic gene expression of GSK‐3β in 48 AD patients and 49 healthy controls. Clinical data of AD patients were also collected.

Results:  The mRNA expression level of the GSK‐3β gene was significantly higher in the AD group (3.13 ± 0.62) than in the normal group (2.77 ± 0.77). Correlational analyses showed that the mRNA expression level of GSK‐3β gene in AD patients was associated with the age of onset (P= 0.047), age (P= 0.055), and Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale total score (P= 0.062) and subscores: aggressiveness score (P= 0.073) and anxieties and phobias score (P= 0.067). Through multivariate regression model, older age, higher anxieties and phobias score and aggressiveness score were associated with higher mRNA expression level of GSK‐3β gene.

Conclusion:  In AD patients, the mRNA expression level of the GSK‐3β gene is increased and may be related to age and behavioural pathology in AD.
Financial Bounds for Insurance Claims
Authors: Bernard Carole , Vanduffel Steven
Published: December 2012

In this article, insurance claims are priced using an indifference pricing principle. We first revisit the traditional economic framework and then extend it to incorporate a financial (sub)market as a tool to invest and to (partially) hedge. In this context, we derive lower bounds for claims' prices, and these bounds correspond to the market prices of some explicitly known financial payoffs. In particular, we show that the discounted expected value is no longer valid as a classical lower bound for insurance prices in general: it has to be corrected by a covariance term that reflects the interaction between the insurance claim and the financial market. Examples that deal with equity‐linked insurance contracts illustrate the article.
Supply Chain Sourcing Game: A Negotiation Exercise
Authors: Gumus Mehmet , Love Ernie C.
Published: December 2012

This article introduces an exercise that simulates the negotiation process in a dynamic supply chain. The retailer and wholesaler roles are assigned to student groups who negotiate supply contracts in a number of rounds during a class period. Each group makes pricing, inventory, and ordering decision concurrently, and competes with others to achieve the highest profit. The exercise is easy to implement using pen and paper, and lends itself to a wide variety of negotiation environments.
Making and Unmaking Panará Beadwork—Or, How to Overcome the Fixity of Material Things
Authors: Ewart Elizabeth
Published: December 2012

Glass beads in Amazonia are objects of value and desire. They “materialize” social relations through processes of acquisition, transmission, and destruction. Although beads provide the “raw material” for the making of ceremonial adornments, they are also subjected to constant processes of unmaking and remaking. They are most visible precisely during these moments, when Panará women sit together stringing beads or making ornaments, often to undo them again once they have served their ritual purpose. These moments of visibility of both beads and persons are moments at which persons make themselves intersubjectively available to one another, and contrast with the withdrawal and concealment of people who are in a state of unavailability. Just as intersubjectivity is a process constantly to be generated, so glass beads, as desired objects, must also overcome the fixity of being “made into a thing” and, thereby, be continuously remade. In this article, I reflect on continuity and process and the way in which the fluidity of beadwork allows for the making and remaking of intersubjective relations.
Integration of Resting‐State FMRI and Diffusion‐Weighted MRI Connectivity Analyses of the Human Brain: Limitations and Improvement
Authors: Zhu David C. , Majumdar Shantanu
Published: December 2012

BACKGROUND

Integration of functional connectivity analysis based on resting‐state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and structural connectivity analysis based on Diffusion‐Weighted Imaging (DWI) has shown great potential to improve understanding of the neural networks in the human brain. However, there are sensitivity and specificity‐related interpretation issues that must be addressed.

METHODS

We assessed the long‐range functional and structural connections of the default‐mode, attention, visual and motor networks on 25 healthy subjects. For each network, we first integrated these two analyses based on one common seed region. We then introduced a functional‐assisted fiber tracking strategy, where seed regions were defined based on independent component analysis of the resting‐state fMRI dataset.

RESULTS

The single‐seed based technique successfully identified the expected functional connections within these networks at both subject and group levels. However, the success rate of structural connectivity analysis showed a high level of variation among the subjects. The functional‐assisted fiber tracking strategy highly improved the rate of successful fiber tracking.

CONCLUSIONS

This fMRI/DWI integration study suggests that functional connectivity analysis might be a more sensitive and robust approach in understanding the connectivity between cortical regions, and can be used to improve DWI‐based structural connectivity analysis.
Relationships of Measurement Error and Prediction Error in Observed‐Score Regression
Authors: Moses Tim
Published: December 2012

The focus of this paper is assessing the impact of measurement errors on the prediction error of an observed‐score regression. Measures are presented and described for decomposing the linear regression's prediction error variance into parts attributable to the true score variance and the error variances of the dependent variable and the predictor variable(s). These measures are demonstrated for regression situations reflecting a range of true score correlations and reliabilities and using one and two predictors. Simulation results also are presented which show that the measures of prediction error variance and its parts are generally well estimated for the considered ranges of true score correlations and reliabilities and for homoscedastic and heteroscedastic data. The final discussion considers how the decomposition might be useful for addressing additional questions about regression functions’ prediction error variances.
The Contestant Perspective on Taking Tests: Emanations From the Statue Within
Authors: Dorans Neil J.
Published: December 2012

Views on testing—its purpose and uses and how its data are analyzed—are related to one's perspective on test takers. Test takers can be viewed as learners, examinees, or contestants. I briefly discuss the perspective of test takers as learners. I maintain that much of psychometrics views test takers as examinees. I discuss test takers as a contestant in some detail. Test takers who are contestants in high‐stakes settings want reliable outcomes obtained via acceptable scoring of tests administered under clear rules. In addition, it is essential to empirically verify interpretations attached to scores. At the very least, item and test scores should exhibit certain invariance properties. I note that the “do no harm” dictum borrowed from the field of medicine is particularly relevant to the perspective of test takers as contestants.
Seven Ways to Deal with a Financial Crisis: Cross‐Country Experience and Policy Implications1
Authors: Calomiris Charles W. , Klingebiel Daniela , Laeven Luc
Published: December 2012

This article presents a taxonomy of financial restructuring strategies that have been used by national policy makers to manage financial crises in the past. The goals of financial restructuring are to preserve or, if necessary, restore the debtor‐creditor relationships on which the economy depends for efficient allocation of capital, and to do so at minimal cost. Costs include not only the direct costs to taxpayers of financial assistance, but also—and likely more important—the indirect costs to the economy that stem from misallocations of capital and incentive problems resulting from the restructuring.

Countries typically apply a combination of tools, including decentralized, market‐based mechanisms as well as government‐managed programs. Market‐based strategies generally aim to strengthen the capital base of financial institutions and borrowers using some mix of debt forgiveness and capital infusions. Government‐led restructuring strategies include the establishment of entities to which non‐performing loans are transferred as well as government‐assisted sales of domestic financial institutions, often to foreign entrants.

Market‐based mechanisms can provide low‐cost ways of resolving the coordination problems faced by countries in the wake of massive debtor and creditor insolvency, particularly when those mechanisms are effective in achieving the desirable objective of selectivity—that is, devoting taxpayer resources only to those borrowers and banks that, with temporary assistance, will be capable of sustaining themselves in the future.

But limiting their range of application mainly to developed economies, such market‐based mechanisms also depend on an efficient judicial system, a credible supervisory framework and authority with sufficient enforcement capacity, and lack of corruption in implementation. Although government‐managed programs may not seem to depend as heavily on well‐functioning legal and regulatory institutions, such approaches—especially the transfer of assets to government‐owned asset management companies—also rely to some extent on such institutions. Asset management companies are less likely to achieve their goal of resolving the overhang of debt at reasonable cost when legal and political institutions are weak and ownership of domestic creditors and debtors is highly concentrated. Especially in such cases, complexity and failure to consider incentive problems when designing specific rules governing financial assistance can aggravate moral hazard problems, unnecessarily raising the costs of resolution. Resolution mechanisms tend to be most successful when—like across‐the‐board debt forgiveness programs implemented through redenominations of debt—they are simple in design and afford quick resolution of outstanding debts, offering little discretion to governments while providing incentives for the private sector to work down the remaining debt overhang.
Coming Through in a Crisis: How Chapter 11 and the Debt Restructuring Industry Are Helping to Revive the U.S. Economy
Authors: Gilson Stuart
Published: December 2012

During the recent financial crisis, U.S. bankruptcy courts and debt restructuring practitioners were faced with the largest wave of corporate defaults and bankruptcies in history. In 2008 and 2009, $1.8 trillion worth of public company assets entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection—almost 20 times the amount during the prior two years. And the portfolio companies of U.S. private equity firms faced a towering wall of debt that, many observers predicted, was about to wipe out most of the industry.

But far from the death of private equity or a severe contraction of corporate America, the past three years have seen an astonishingly rapid working off of U.S. corporate debt overhang, allowing corporate profits and values to rebound with remarkable speed and vigor. And as the author of this article argues, corporate America's recovery from the recent financial crisis provides a clear demonstration of the importance of U.S. bankruptcy laws and restructuring practices in maintaining the competitiveness of U.S. companies and the long‐run growth of the U.S. economy.
International Propagation of the Credit Crisis: Lessons for Bank Regulation*
Authors: Brealey Richard A. , Cooper Ian A. , Kaplanis Evi
Published: December 2012

The authors use a large sample of non‐U.S. banks to examine the origins and spread of the 2007–2009 crisis. Using both stock market and structural variables, they test whether the effects of the crisis on individual banks are better explained by crisis models or by the VaR‐type analysis of the Basel system. The latter emphasizes risk weightings for individual assets while ignoring linkages that could leave banks exposed to systemic shocks.

Consistent with crisis models, the authors find that a small set of pre‐crisis measures of a bank's international linkages, leverage, and the fragility of its liability structure does a good job of discriminating between banks that suffered a large impact and those that did not. (Indeed, these measures explain almost 50% of the differences among banks' stock returns during the crisis period, and almost 40% of the changes in the variability of those returns.) The authors also provide evidence of both a direct linkage among banks' stock returns and an indirect linkage that could reflect either linkages in the real economy or common demands by investors for liquidity.

The authors run a “horse race” that demonstrates that simple measures of book leverage were better predictors of bank performance than the Basel capital ratios. They find that banks with lower Basel risk weightings prior to the crisis proved, on average, to be more exposed to the crisis. The authors' explanation is that banks with lower Basel risk measures tended to operate with higher leverage and more aggressive funding strategies, which in turn exposed them to greater crisis risk (even as they conformed to the letter of the Basel system in terms of asset risk measures).

Finally, the authors find no evidence that substandard governance was a separate contributing factor to crisis exposure. Banks with substantial international business that were exposed to systemic shocks had high governance scores.
A Proposal to Improve U.S. Housing Market Incentives: A Response to the Federal Reserve White Paper of January 2012
Authors: Ehrlich Michael A. , Sverdlove Ronald , Beauchamp Charles F. , Thomas Rawley , Stockman Michael G.
Published: December 2012

The U.S. housing finance market has not yet recovered from the housing price bubble that peaked in late 2006. Even though prices have fallen significantly, there are still problems in clearing the market. For the last few years, a group of financial economists and practitioners who are part of the Financial Management Association's Practitioner Demand Driven Academic Research Initiative (PDDARI) have been studying the collapse of the housing market and have concluded that many market participants still have insufficient (and in some cases the wrong) incentives to take actions that would help restore the market's health.

In January 2012, Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, released a white paper that reviewed current housing market conditions and created a framework for policy analysis designed to help reestablish the health of the U.S. housing market as part of the broader effort to foster economic recovery. Using this framework as its starting point, the PDDARI group has come up with a set of proposals whose centerpiece is an “incentive‐compatible” mortgage that encourages homeowners to rebuild their home equity as an essential step to a housing recovery. By incorporating “price appreciation rights” that would provide stronger inducements for lenders or mortgage owners to make loan modifications (particularly, forgiveness of principal), the PDDARI mortgage structure could allow more homeowners to remain in their homes and avoid foreclosures and the large associated deadweight costs (as much as 40% of a home's assessed value). Additionally, the government‐sponsored enterprises, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are also in need of radical reform, and a transition toward greater private market participation would promote the long‐term health of the mortgage market.
A Primer on Distressed Investing: Buying Companies by Acquiring Their Debt
Authors: Moyer Stephen G. , Martin David , Martin John
Published: December 2012

Distress or vulture investing requires a high level of business acumen combined with deep knowledge of accounting, finance, and corporate and restructuring law. In this paper, the authors provide a pedagogical discussion of an important—and socially beneficial—kind of vulture investing through which creditors often gain control of distressed companies. Such investing requires intensive information gathering and active participation by the investor, in contrast to most passive investing in publicly traded securities, as the investor seeks control over the distressed firm's equity. The process is made more risky and difficult by the many conflicting interests of creditors and equity holders who work throughout the process to protect their individual interests. The authors provide a detailed discussion of such conflicts and how restructuring practitioners seek to manage them.