bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Ability of Landowners and Their Cooperatives to Leverage Payments Greater Than Opportunity Costs from Conservation Contracts
Authors: LENNOX GARETH D. , ARMSWORTH PAUL R.
Published: March 2013

In negotiations over land‐right acquisitions, landowners have an informational advantage over conservation groups because they know more about the opportunity costs of conservation measures on their sites. This advantage creates the possibility that landowners will demand payments greater than the required minimum, where this minimum required payment is known as the landowner's willingness to accept (WTA). However, in recent studies of conservation costs, researchers have assumed landowners will accept conservation with minimum payments. We investigated the ability of landowners to demand payments above their WTA when a conservation group has identified multiple sites for protection. First, we estimated the maximum payment landowners could potentially demand, which is set when groups of landowners act as a cooperative. Next, through the simulation of conservation auctions, we explored the amount of money above landowners’ WTA (i.e., surplus) that conservation groups could cede to secure conservation agreements, again investigating the influence of landowner cooperatives. The simulations showed the informational advantage landowners held could make conservation investments up to 42% more expensive than suggested by the site WTAs. Moreover, all auctions resulted in landowners obtaining payments greater than their WTA; thus, it may be unrealistic to assume landowners will accept conservation contracts with minimum payments. Of particular significance for species conservation, conservation objectives focused on overall species richness, which therefore recognize site complementarity, create an incentive for landowners to form cooperatives to capture surplus. To the contrary, objectives in which sites are substitutes, such as the maximization of species occurrences, create a disincentive for cooperative formation.

La Habilidad de Propietarios y Sus Cooperativas para Implementar Pagos Mayores que los Costos de Oportunidad en Contratos de Conservación
Effects of Climate Change, Invasive Species, and Disease on the Distribution of Native European Crayfishes
Authors: CAPINHA CÉSAR , LARSON ERIC R. , TRICARICO ELENA , OLDEN JULIAN D. , GHERARDI FRANCESCA
Published: March 2013

Climate change will require species to adapt to new conditions or follow preferred climates to higher latitudes or elevations, but many dispersal‐limited freshwater species may be unable to move due to barriers imposed by watershed boundaries. In addition, invasive nonnative species may expand into new regions under future climate conditions and contribute to the decline of native species. We evaluated future distributions for the threatened European crayfish fauna in response to climate change, watershed boundaries, and the spread of invasive crayfishes, which transmit the crayfish plague, a lethal disease for native European crayfishes. We used climate projections from general circulation models and statistical models based on Mahalanobis distance to predict climate‐suitable regions for native and invasive crayfishes in the middle and at the end of the 21st century. We identified these suitable regions as accessible or inaccessible on the basis of major watershed boundaries and present occurrences and evaluated potential future overlap with 3 invasive North American crayfishes. Climate‐suitable areas decreased for native crayfishes by 19% to 72%, and the majority of future suitable areas for most of these species were inaccessible relative to native and current distributions. Overlap with invasive crayfish plague‐transmitting species was predicted to increase. Some native crayfish species (e.g., noble crayfish [Astacus astacus]) had no future refugia that were unsuitable for the modeled nonnative species. Our results emphasize the importance of preventing additional introductions and spread of invasive crayfishes in Europe to minimize interactions between the multiple stressors of climate change and invasive species, while suggesting candidate regions for the debatable management option of assisted colonization.

Efectos del Cambio Climático, Especies Invasoras y Enfermedades sobre la Distribución de Cangrejos de Río Europeos Nativos
Diverticular disease in younger patients – is it clinically more complicated and related to obesity?
Authors: Pilgrim S. M. , Hart A. R. , Speakman C. T. M.
Published: March 2013

Aim

The aims of this systematic review were to determine the presentations of diverticular disease in patients under 40 years of age and to assess whether obesity is an important factor.

Method

The PubMed and EMBASE databases and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify all original articles published between 1990 and 2011 on diverticular disease severity in obese patients (body mass index of ≥ 30 kg/m2) under 40 years of age.

Results

Twenty‐three clinical case series (two of which were prospective) were identified plus two large aetiological population‐based studies. These reported that young patients with diverticular disease were presenting more frequently, that diverticular disease in this age group was less likely to be complicated but that emergency operation rates were higher. The majority (63.1–96.5%) of patients under 40 years of age with diverticular disease were obese.

Conclusion

The studies suggest that in the young, obese patient with lower abdominal pain, diverticulitis and appendicitis are included in the differential diagnosis. CT and/or laparoscopy should be considered where the diagnosis is in doubt.
Association between granzyme B and perforin I polymorphisms and allograft outcomes in Hispanic kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Corrales‐Tellez Eglis , Vu Don , Shah Tariq , Hutchinson Ian , Min David I.
Published: March 2013

Granzyme B (GZMB) and perforin 1 gene (PRF1) are key effector molecules of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, in causing acute and chronic solid organ transplant rejection. In this study, we analyzed the impact of GZMB and PRF1 polymorphism on kidney allograft outcomes. In all, 527 de novo kidney Hispanic allograft recipients were genotyped for PRF1 (rs10999426, rs35947132) and GZMB (rs8192917, rs7144366). PRF1 (rs10999426, rs35947132) G alleles and GG genotypes were negatively associated with allograft rejection, demonstrating protection against allograft rejection (OR = 0.61, p = 0.005 for rs1099946; OR = 0.4, p = 0.01 for rs 35947132). On the other hand, the GA heterozygosity of PRF1 was found marginally associated with the rejection group (OR = 1.53, p = 0.05 for rs10999426; OR = 2.24, p = 0.07 for rs35947132). There was a significant increase in allograft survival in time period studied for the PRF1 (rs10999426) GG genotype, while the GA heterozygosity was associated with graft failure. We found no association for polymorphic markers in GZMB gene with allograft rejection. Survival was significantly improved for patients who were homozygous TT for the GZMB (rs8192917) (TT vs. CC/TT, p = 0.041). The result suggests that PRF1 and GZMB gene polymorphisms may determine the incidence of acute rejection or graft survival among Hispanic allograft recipients.
A systematic review of substance misuse assessment packages
Authors: Sweetman Jennifer , Raistrick Duncan , Mdege Noreen D. , Crosby Helen
Published: March 2013

Issues

Health‐care systems globally are moving away from process measures of performance to payments for outcomes achieved. It follows that there is a need for a selection of proven quality tools that are suitable for undertaking comprehensive assessments and outcomes assessments. This review aimed to identify and evaluate existing comprehensive assessment packages. The work is part of a national program in the UK, Collaborations in Leadership of Applied Health Research and Care.

Approach

Systematic searches were carried out across major databases to identify instruments designed to assess substance misuse. For those instruments identified, searches were carried out using the Cochrane Library, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE® and PsychINFO to identify articles reporting psychometric data.

Key Findings

From 595 instruments, six met the inclusion criteria: Addiction Severity Index; Chemical Use, Abuse and Dependence Scale; Form 90; Maudsley Addiction Profile; Measurements in the Addictions for Triage and Evaluation; and Substance Abuse Outcomes Module. The most common reasons for exclusion were that instruments were: (i) designed for a specific substance (239); (ii) not designed for use in addiction settings (136); (iii) not providing comprehensive assessment (89); and (iv) not suitable as an outcome measure (20).

Implications

The six packages are very different and suited to different uses. No package had adequate evaluation of their properties and so the emphasis should be on refining a small number of tools with very general application rather than creating new ones. An alternative to using ‘off‐the‐shelf’ packages is to create bespoke packages from well‐validated, single‐construct scales. [Sweetman J, Raistrick D, Mdege ND, Crosby H. A systematic review of substance misuse assessment packages. Drug Alcohol Rev 2013;32:347‐355]
Species distribution modelling and imperfect detection: comparing occupancy versus consensus methods
Authors: Comte Lise , Grenouillet Gaël
Published: March 2013

Aim

We assessed the influence of species non‐detection in modelling species distributions with an ensemble consensus approach that did not account for imperfect detection, compared with an occupancy model that did.

Location

The hydrographic network of France.

Methods

We compared range maps of 35 stream fish species with differing degrees of detectability predicted using a consensus approach combining eight species distribution models (SDMs) to maps produced using an occupancy model. Using a spatially and temporally extensive monitoring database of fish populations (France), we modelled the occurrence of species as a function of several climatic and habitat variables and projected species distributions across the whole of the French hydrographic network. The benefits of occupancy models were then assessed from the differences in both predictive performance and species distribution.

Results

We found that although the occupancy models enhanced the performance for difficult to detect species, consensus models outperformed occupancy models for highly detectable species. In contrast to the minor differences observed in performance measures, estimates of species distributions were severely affected by whether or not imperfect detection was accounted for and varied linearly according to species detectability.

Main conclusions

This study demonstrated that false absences could have major consequences in estimating species distribution ranges. However, accounting for imperfect detection may not be enough to improve conventional SDMs. These findings could have important implications for conservation, notably in developing large‐scale distribution models and documenting species range shifts in the context of recent climate change.
Do dung beetle larvae need microbial symbionts from their parents to feed on dung?
Authors: BYRNE MARCUS J. , WATKINS BRONWYN , BOUWER GUSTAV
Published: March 2013

Adult dung beetles eat small particles of their food using soft mouthparts, but their larvae have biting jaws with which they chew material in their natal brood ball.

It was assumed that microbes supplied by the parents help breakdown food material in the brood ball, which was thought to act as a fermentation chamber. It has been generally accepted that larval dung beetles gain access to nutrients in the dung via symbionts.

Various dung treatments used here, including heat sterilisation and anti‐microbials, suggest that the maternal contribution to the brood ball is a pre‐digested meal for the newly hatched larva, and that microbes from the parents are not involved in larval feeding within this group of dung beetles.

However, manipulation of the dung by the mother supplied the larva with smaller dung particles from the unsorted dung, and an additional ‘maternal gift’ secretion may provide partially digested dung, both of which affect survival of the larva.

This overturns the largely untested dogma that larval dung beetles depend on microbial symbionts from the adults for feeding, but confirms that adult ‘conditioning’ of the dung is important for the larva in selecting out larger dung particles from the brood ball.
Thrombin generation in children with sickle cell disease: relationship with age, hemolysis, transcranial doppler velocity, and hydroxyurea treatment
Authors: Noubouossie Denis C. F. , Lê Phu Q. , Rozen Laurence , Ziereisen France , Willems Dominique , Demulder Anne , Ferster Alina
Published: March 2013

Introduction

Increased thrombin generation (TG) was described in sickle cell disease (SCD) children. The aim of this study was to characterize TG at the individual level and assess its relationship with age, hemolysis, transcranial Doppler velocity (TCD), and hydroxyurea treatment.

Patients and methods

TG was triggered in the platelet‐poor plasma using tissue factor and phospholipids with addition of thrombomodulin in 97 SCD at steady state and 80 control children. Patients and controls were aged from 2 to 20 years, and they were distributed in four categories of age: [2–5], [6–10], [11–15], and [16–20] years. For each subject, ratio of endogenous thrombin potential (rETP) and peak height (rPeak) was calculated as subject's value divided by the mean value of controls of the same age range. rETP and rPeak of patients were considered abnormal when > mean + 2SD of controls. LDH, total hemoglobin, and reticulocyte count were measured as markers of hemolysis. Data on hydroxyurea treatment and TCD were collected from medical records.

Results

Overall, 38.1% and 44.3% of patients showed elevated rETP and rPeak, respectively. rETP and rPeak decreased significantly with increasing age. In homozygous (SS) patients, TCD velocities and all markers of hemolysis correlated significantly with both rETp and rPeak. Negative correlations were observed between these ratios and the duration of hydroxyurea treatment.

Conclusion

Elevated TG in SCD children is mainly related to younger age and to the intensity of hemolysis. There probably a link between TG and cerebral vasculopathy in these patients. Hydroxyurea may have a beneficial effect, which could be related to the duration of treatment.
Networking Behavior and Contracting Relationships among Entrepreneurs in Business Incubators
Authors: Ebbers Joris J.
Published: March 2013

Many studies focus on the relationship between social networks and performance. I study networking behavior as an antecedent of tie formation among entrepreneurs in business incubators. I distinguish between two types of networking behavior: individual networking orientation or building potentially valuable ties for personal gain, and tertius iungens orientation or facilitating tie formation between others. I find that both types of networking behavior are positively related with the number of business partners to whom entrepreneurs give business assignments. Contrary to expectations, I find no relationship between networking behavior and the number of business partners from whom entrepreneurs receive business assignments.
Venture Capitalists’ Risk Mitigation of Portfolio Company Internationalization
Authors: LiPuma Joseph A. , Park Sarah
Published: March 2013

This study examines the differential application of mechanisms that venture capitalists use to mitigate the risks of portfolio company internationalization. We investigate differences in round size, round interval, and round syndication between new ventures that internationalize (with a fraction of revenue from abroad) and solely domestic new ventures, using longitudinal data of 962 investing rounds in 334 venture capital–backed technology companies. While opportunistic internationalizers (ratio of foreign sales to total sales less than 10%) receive less funding per round by smaller syndicates over longer intervals than domestic ventures, higher intensity strategic internationalizers receive their funding in shorter intervals.
Special Issue: Proteoglycans: signaling, targeting and therapeutics
Authors: Karamanos Nikos K. , Linhardt Robert J.
Published: March 2013

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Effects of seasonal snow on the growing season of temperate vegetation in China
Authors: Yu Zhen , Liu Shirong , Wang Jingxin , Sun Pengsen , Liu Weiguo , Hartley Damon S.
Published: March 2013

Variations in seasonal snowfall regulate regional and global climatic systems and vegetation growth by changing energy budgets of the lower atmosphere and land surface. We investigated the effects of snow on the start of growing season (SGS) of temperate vegetation in China. Across the entire temperate region in China, the winter snow depth increased at a rate of 0.15 cm yr−1 (P = 0.07) during the period 1982–1998, and decreased at a rate of 0.36 cm yr−1 (P = 0.09) during the period 1998–2005. Correspondingly, the SGS advanced at a rate of 0.68 day yr−1 (P < 0.01) during 1982–1998, and delayed at a rate of 2.13 day yr−1 (P = 0.07) during 1998–2005, against a warming trend throughout the entire study period of 1982–2005. Spring air temperature strongly regulated the SGS of both deciduous broad‐leaf and coniferous forests, whereas the winter snow had a greater impact on the SGS of grassland and shrubs. Snow depth variation combined with air temperature contributed to the variability in the SGS of grassland and shrubs, as snow acted as an insulator and modulated the underground thermal conditions. In addition, differences were seen between the impacts of winter snow depth and spring snow depth on the SGS; as snow depths increased, the effect associated went from delaying SGS to advancing SGS. The observed thresholds for these effects were snow depths of 6.8 cm (winter) and 4.0 cm (spring). The results of this study suggest that the response of the vegetation's SGS to seasonal snow change may be attributed to the coupling effects of air temperature and snow depth associated with the underground thermal conditions.
Prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms in middle‐aged and elderly Japanese
Authors: Osuga Yoko , Okamura Kikuo , Ando Fujiko , Shimokata Hiroshi
Published: March 2013

Aims

To estimate the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in Japanese people, and the relationships to aging and sex, we carried out the present population‐based study.

Methods

The present study included 1198 men aged 60.7 ± 12.5 years and 1218 women aged 60.8 ± 12.7 years who participated in a study of aging carried out at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology between 2006 and 2008, using linguistically validated versions of the International Prostate Symptom Score (I‐PSS) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short‐form (ICIQ‐SF).

Results

The prevalence of I‐PSS ≥8 was 25.2% in men and 11.8% in women, that of two or more a week urinary incontinence was 3.3% and 6.6%, respectively, and that of I‐PSS ≥8 and/or two or more a week urinary incontinence was 25.8% and 16.0%, respectively. The prevalence of the seven symptoms in I‐PSS increased with aging. Just 9.1% of men and 4.6% of women who reported LUTS were medicated for LUTS.

Conclusions

The results showed that the severity of LUTS in Japan was related to aging. The prevalence of LUTS with I‐PSS ≥8 in Japan is similar to that in other countries. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 1010–1017.
Preferences for a third‐trimester ultrasound scan in a low‐risk obstetric population: a discrete choice experiment
Authors: Lynn Fiona A. , Crealey Grainne E. , Alderdice Fiona A. , McElnay James C.
Published: March 2013

Objective

Establish maternal preferences for a third‐trimester ultrasound scan in a healthy, low‐risk pregnant population.

Design

Cross‐sectional study incorporating a discrete choice experiment.

Setting

A large, urban maternity hospital in Northern Ireland.

Participants

One hundred and forty‐six women in their second trimester of pregnancy.

Methods

A discrete choice experiment was designed to elicit preferences for four attributes of a third‐trimester ultrasound scan: health‐care professional conducting the scan, detection rate for abnormal foetal growth, provision of non‐medical information, cost. Additional data collected included age, marital status, socio‐economic status, obstetric history, pregnancy‐specific stress levels, perceived health and whether pregnancy was planned. Analysis was undertaken using a mixed logit model with interaction effects.

Main outcome measures

Women's preferences for, and trade‐offs between, the attributes of a hypothetical scan and indirect willingness‐to‐pay estimates.

Results

Women had significant positive preference for higher rate of detection, lower cost and provision of non‐medical information, with no significant value placed on scan operator. Interaction effects revealed subgroups that valued the scan most: women experiencing their first pregnancy, women reporting higher levels of stress, an adverse obstetric history and older women.

Conclusions

Women were able to trade on aspects of care and place relative importance on clinical, non‐clinical outcomes and processes of service delivery, thus highlighting the potential of using health utilities in the development of services from a clinical, economic and social perspective. Specifically, maternal preferences exhibited provide valuable information for designing a randomized trial of effectiveness and insight for clinical and policy decision makers to inform woman‐centred care.
A new approach for measuring the work and quality of histopathology reporting
Authors: Sharma Vijay , Davey Jonathan G N , Humphreys Catherine , Johnston Peter W
Published: March 2013

Aims

Cancer datasets drive report quality, but require more work to inform compliant reports. The aim of this study was to correlate the number of words with measures of quality, to examine the impact of the drive for improved quality on the workload of histopathology reporting over time.

Methods and results

We examined the first 10 reports of colon, breast, renal, lung and ovarian carcinoma, melanoma resection, nodal lymphoma appendicitis and seborrhoeic keratosis (SK) issued in 1991, 2001 and 2011. Correlations were analysed using Pearson's partial correlation coefficients. Word count increased significantly over time for most specimen types examined. Word count almost always correlated with units of information, indicating that the word count was a good measure of the amount of information contained within the reports; this correlation was preserved following correction for the effect of time. A good correlation with compliance with cancer datasets was also observed, but was weakened or lost following correction for the increase in word count and units of information that occurred between time points.

Conclusions

These data indicate that word count could potentially be used as a measure of information content if its integrity and usefulness are continuously validated. Further prospective studies are required to assess and validate this approach.
The clinical relevance of micropapillary carcinoma of the breast: a case–control study
Authors: Vingiani Andrea , Maisonneuve Patrick , Dell'Orto Patrizia , Farante Gabriel , Rotmensz Nicole , Lissidini Germana , Del Castillo Andres , Renne Giuseppe , Luini Alberto , Colleoni Marco , Viale Giuseppe , Pruneri Giancarlo
Published: March 2013

Aims

To ascertain the prognostic relevance of micropapillary carcinoma, a specific type of breast tumour.

Methods and results

We interrogated the clinical records of a series of 49 pure micropapillary carcinoma patients and 13 487 invasive ductal carcinoma patients, diagnosed and treated consecutively in our institution over a 9‐year time‐frame. Compared with invasive ductal carcinoma, patients with micropapillary carcinoma more frequently had moderately differentiated tumours (P = 0.02) with extensive peritumoral vascular invasion (P < 0.0001), associated with a significantly higher rate of axillary lymph node involvement (P < 0.0001). Survival data obtained by comparing 49 micropapillary carcinoma patients with a set of 98 invasive ductal carcinoma patients matched for age, tumour size and grade, peritumoral vascular invasion, immunohistochemically defined molecular subtype, number of positive lymph nodes and year of surgery showed that the micropapillary histotype did not add any independent information to the risk of locoregional (P = 0.48) or distant (P = 0.79) relapse, or overall survival (P = 0.60).

Conclusions

Our data reinforce the notion that micropapillary carcinoma usually arises as a locally advanced disease, and provide evidence that micropapillary histology does not add any additional information on clinical outcome independent of clinicopathological characteristics such as lymph node status and immunohistochemically defined molecular subtype.
Freedom as Going Off Script
Authors: Benson Jennifer
Published: March 2013

In this manuscript I explore an example of an over‐privileged white woman who encounters two young Black men in a parking garage stairwell. Two related axioms are central to the oppressive script that lies before these subjects: the hetero‐patriarchal axiom that women are not safe alone at night and the racist axiom that Black men, especially young ones, are dangerous. These axioms are intended to ensure a practical conclusion—white women and Black men are supposed to avoid each other—thereby conferring legitimacy on the white male, hetero‐patriarchal order. If this is a performance of oppression, we must ask, what is the performance of freedom?

Freedom, I argue, is the practice of allowing and encouraging a subject's multiple selves to interact so that one may devise and pursue courses of action that have been strategically hidden by systems of domination designed to cultivate pliant agency. My project augments accounts of multiplicitous subjectivity wherein our multiple social worlds socially constitute persons as both oppressor and oppressed, empowered and pliant. The practice of freedom conceived here acknowledges multiplicity while positioning us to seek feminist and antiracist futures that are not configured by oppression.
Does translation support multilingualism in the EU? Promises and reality – the example of German
Authors: Ammon Ulrich , Kruse Jan
Published: March 2013

The translation services of the European Union (EU) are meant to guarantee that EU institutions can, and actually do, communicate with member states in these states' own official languages, as long as they have been bestowed the status of official EU languages (Council Regulation No 1, Articles 1–5). Though it is well‐known among EU politicians that reality falls short of this objective, there is no serious discussion about this, let alone an attempt to bring reality in line with the Regulation. As the following study of the EU Commission's communication with the German national parliament (Bundestag) shows, actual practice does contrast sharply with the EU politicians' never‐ending eulogy on multilingualism. Such eulogy instead seems to be part of an ideology which serves to calm down concerns from traditional competitors of English as an international language such as, in particular, speakers of French, German, Italian or Spanish, the status and function of whose languages suffer most from the present practice.
‘Human Rights’ across time and space: a cross‐linguistic analysis of performatives in English and Italian
Authors: Felici Annarita
Published: March 2013

International treaties are usually drafted in one negotiated lingua franca and then translated into the other authentic languages. The quality of these translations must be uncontroversial because once authenticated, they become original versions with equivalent legal effect. This paper investigates semantic‐pragmatic aspects of performatives in the UN Declaration of Human Rights (UN 1948) and in the more recent EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (EU 2000), in English and Italian. Considering the 50 years elapsing between the publications of the two treaties, the analysis aims at ascertain translational equivalence and equivalent legal effects when rendering similar and in some cases, almost repetitive provisions. The comparison will ideally contribute to reflect on the implications of multilingual translation in the current global environment with special regard to legal instruments.
Mental health nurses in primary care: Qualitative outcomes of the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program
Authors: Lakeman Richard
Published: March 2013

The Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP) is a government‐funded programme, which, since 2007, has enabled mental health nurses to work in primary care settings in Australia in collaboration with general practitioners (GPs) or private psychiatrists. To date, small‐scale qualitative studies have explored outcomes of the programme from the point of view of nurses, consumers, and the perceptions of GPs. This study reports on an on‐line survey of credentialed mental health nurses perceptions of outcomes of the MHNIP. Two hundred and twenty five nurses who worked in MHNIP provided detailed narrative responses that were examined using thematic content analysis. The most commonly‐cited outcomes were reductions in symptoms or improved coping, improved relationships, and enhanced community participation. Other reported outcomes included reduced hospitalization or use of state‐funded mental health services, better use of health services, the continuation or establishment of meaningful occupation, improved physical health and medication management, less use of coercive interventions, and greater independence.
Allergic contact dermatitis to indium in jewellery: diagnosis made possible through the use of the Contact Allergen Bank Australia
Authors: Gamboni Sarah E , Simmons Ivan , Palmer Amanda , Nixon Rosemary L
Published: March 2013

We report a case of a 39‐year‐old woman from Adelaide who developed allergic contact dermatitis to the rare allergen indium in her ring. The allergen was sourced for patch testing using the Contact Allergen Bank Australia (CABA), based at the Skin and Cancer Foundation in Melbourne, and posted to Adelaide. This case illustrates the usefulness of CABA in facilitating patch testing throughout Australia, especially when rare allergens are involved.
Dorsally derived spinal interneurons in locomotor circuits
Authors: Vallstedt Anna , Kullander Klas
Published: March 2013

During neuronal circuit formation, axons are guided to their targets by the help of axon guidance molecules, which are required for establishing functional circuits. A promising system to dissect the development and functionalities of neuronal circuitry is the spinal cord central pattern generator (CPG) for locomotion, which converts a tonic supraspinal drive to rhythmic and coordinated movements. Here we describe concepts arising from genetic studies of the locomotor network with a focus on the position and roles of commissural interneurons. In particular, this involves studies of several families of axon guidance molecules relevant for midline crossing, the Eph/ephrins and Netrin/DCC. Effects on developing commissural interneurons in mice with aberrant midline axon guidance capabilities suggest that, in addition to ventral populations, dorsal commissural interneurons also play a role in coordinating locomotor circuitry. Recent findings implicate the novel dI6 interneuron marker Dmrt3 in this role. Strikingly, mutations in Dmrt3 result in divergent gait patterns in both mice and horses.
Maternal–foetal attachment during early pregnancy in Taiwanese women pregnant by in vitro fertilization
Authors: Kuo Pi‐Chao , Bowers Beverly , Chen Yueh‐Chih , Chen Chung‐Hey , Tzeng Ya‐Ling , Lee Maw‐Sheng
Published: March 2013

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate maternal–foetal attachment at 9, 12 and 20 weeks gestation and to identify factors that influenced maternal–foetal attachment in Taiwanese women who conceived by in vitro fertilization.

Background

Development of maternal–foetal attachment is an important part of taking on the maternal role. However, evidence about maternal–foetal attachment after assisted conception is inconclusive.

Design

A longitudinal design with repeated measures.

Methods

A prospective, longitudinal design with repeated measures was used. Over an 18‐month period in 2006–2008, a convenience sample of 160 women who conceived after undergoing successful in vitro fertilization were recruited from a major infertility care centre in Taiwan. Data were collected by self‐reported measures, including: (1) Maternal–Foetal Attachment Scale; (2) Symptoms Checklist; (3) Pregnancy‐related Anxiety Scale; (4) Social Support Apgar; (5) Chinese childbearing attitude Questionnaire; and (6) Awareness of Foetus Scale. The selected instruments to measure each variable were administered to participants at 9, 12 and 20 weeks gestation.

Results

Maternal–foetal attachment increased as pregnancy progressed from 9 to 20 weeks gestation. General linear mixed model showed predictors of maternal–foetal attachment included Chinese childbearing attitude, awareness of the foetus, and social support.

Conclusion

Health provider awareness of cultural influences on the development of early maternal–foetal attachment of women pregnant by in vitro fertilization is needed. Prenatal education in early pregnancy might incorporate more information about foetal development to allow the mother to visualize her unborn child. Providing social support for women who were conceived by in vitro fertilization is beneficial to the development of maternal–foetal attachment.
Developing a diagnosis system of work‐related capabilities for students: A computer‐assisted assessment
Authors: Liao C.H. , Yang M.H. , Yang B.C.
Published: March 2013

A gap exists between students' employment needs and higher education offerings. Thus, developing the capability to meet the learning needs of students in supporting their future aspirations should be facilitated. To bridge this gap in practice, this study uses multiple methods (i.e., nominal group technique and instructional systems development) and robust tests (e.g., reliability and validity) to develop a diagnosis system of work‐related capabilities. The research participants are twofold. At the early stage, this study invites three professors and three senior Human Resources managers to join the panel and help this study develop required capabilities. At the design and implementation stages, the research participants are freshman students at a famous university in Taiwan. This system enables college students to evaluate their capability scores by comparing themselves with the performances of prior students. The diagnosis results not only help students make learning plans during their university education, but also assist educators in adjusting the structure of the curriculum. Future studies are invited to use or adapt the assessment of work‐related capabilities, as well as proposed system procedure and architecture this study developed.
Immunopathological characteristics of patients with bullous pemphigoid and neurological disease
Authors: Taghipour K. , Chi C.‐C. , Bhogal B. , Groves R.W. , Venning V. , Wojnarowska F.
Published: March 2013

Background

The relationship between bullous pemphigoid (BP) and neurological disease has been the subject of numerous recent studies and BP antigens and their isoforms have been identified in the central nervous system (CNS). Whilst epidemiological data support this association, little is known about the pathomechanism behind this link and the immunological characteristics of patients with BP and neurological disease, other than multiple sclerosis (MS), has not been studied.

Objective

We aimed to compare the cutaneous immune response in BP patients with and without neurological disease, to investigate whether or not there is a distinctive immunopathological profile in patients with concomitant BP and neurological disease.

Methods

Seventy‐two patients with BP were included and divided into two groups; those with neurological disease (BP+N, n = 43) and those without (BP−N, n = 29). Patients in BP+N group had a confirmed neurological disease by a hospital physician, neurologist or psychiatrist with positive neurological imaging where appropriate, or a Karnofsky score of 50 or less due to mental impairment. All sera were analysed with indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) using serial dilutions up to 1:120000, immunoblotting (IB) and Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for BP180 and BP230.

Results

Median antibody titres by IIF were 1:1600 vs. 1:800 for BP−N and BP+N, respectively, although the difference did not reach statistic significance (P = 0.93, Mann–Whitney U‐test). ELISA values for both BP180 and BP230 did not differ significantly between the two groups. Similarly, autoantibodies to specific antigens as identified by ELISA and IB were not related to the presence of neurological disease.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that patients with BP and neurological disease exhibit an immune response to both BP180 and BP230, thus the link between the CNS and the skin is not dependent on a specific antigen, but possibly both antigens or their isoforms may be exposed following a neurological insult, and play a role in generation of an immune response.
How does coarse gravel augmentation affect early‐stage Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha embryonic survivorship?
Authors: Utz R. M. , Mesick C. F. , Cardinale B. J. , Dunne T.
Published: March 2013

Early‐stage Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha embryos were incubated in artificial redds that mimicked hyporheic conditions in gravel‐augmented habitat to assess survivorship. Two complementary experiments were conducted where units varied along gradients of (1) increasing interstitial flow velocity (0·05–2·50 cm s−1) in a uniformly coarse (particles ≥22 mm) sediment mixture and (2) increasing sediment porosity with interstitial flow velocity held constant. Embryonic survivorship increased moderately along a gradient of interstitial flow velocity, while survivorship among units with varying sediment porosities was consistent. No evidence for flow‐induced agitation and mortality was observed. Results suggest that high interstitial flow velocities may confer a moderate advantage for incubating salmonid embryos when conditions that typically reduce embryonic mortality (i.e. low concentrations of fine particles) are ideal.
Effects of a 12 week self‐managed stretching program among Korean–Chinese female migrant workers in Korea: A randomized trial
Authors: Lee Hyeonkyeong , Chae Duckhee , Wilbur JoEllen , Miller Arlene , Lee Kyongeun , Jin Hwaeun
Published: March 2013

Aim

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a 12 week, self‐managed, community‐based stretching program on musculoskeletal fitness, musculoskeletal symptoms, and acculturative stress, in Korean–Chinese female migrant workers in Korea.

Methods

This was a randomized controlled trial with random assignment of eligible full‐time Korean–Chinese female migrant workers to a stretching exercise intervention (n = 40) or an enhanced stretching exercise intervention (n = 40) condition. Both conditions received a 6 min stretching exercise program that included an orientation and three work‐related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) educational classes. Between educational classes, the enhanced stretching exercise condition also received mobile phone text messaging and telephone counseling to increase self‐efficacy (confidence in overcoming barriers) and provide social support. Flexibility, muscle strength, musculoskeletal symptoms, and acculturative stress were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks.

Results

Significant increase in flexibility was noted for both conditions, but acculturative stress was significantly reduced only in the standard intervention condition. Muscle strength and WMSD symptoms had no significant changes at the 12 week follow up in both conditions.

Conclusion

The 12 week, self‐managed, community‐based, stretching exercise program was effective to increase flexibility. The standard stretching intervention without any enhancements may be a more cost‐effective way to increase flexibility. Longitudinal studies, however, are needed to see if the long‐term effects are greater in the enhanced intervention for the migrant worker population.
Knowledge, health‐promoting behaviors, and biological risks of recurrent stroke among stroke patients in Korea
Authors: Lee Hei Ryun , Ham Ok Kyung , Lee Young Whee , Cho Insook , Oh Hyun Soo , Rha Joung‐Ho
Published: March 2013

Aim

The study was undertaken to explore stroke knowledge, health‐promoting behaviors, and predictors for biological risk profiles of stroke recurrence among stroke patients in Korea.

Methods

This study was a cross‐sectional descriptive study. Seventy‐five stroke patients were recruited from a university medical center. Stroke knowledge, physical functioning, health‐promoting life profile (HPLP), and five biological risk factors for stroke recurrence (i.e. systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, blood glucose, and body mass index) were measured.

Results

The results indicated that 70.0% of the patients selected correct answers in most of the knowledge questions. The mean score for HPLP was 3.08 ± 0.45 (range, 1–4). Twenty‐seven percent of patients had their five biological risk factors under control. Education level of 9 years or less and duration of stroke diagnosis within a year were predictors for biological risk profiles of stroke recurrence (F = 6.94, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Stroke patients exhibited appropriate stroke knowledge and performed moderate to high levels of health‐promoting behaviors. However, 73.2% of patients had uncontrolled risk factor(s) in one or more of the five biological risk factors for stroke recurrence. Nurses should be aware that stroke patients seeking treatments from clinics and hospitals are still at risk of stroke recurrence.
A QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM TO REDUCE UNCERTAINTY IN INTERPRETING FORMATION PRESSURES FOR RESERVOIR AND BASIN PRESSURE SYSTEM ANALYSIS
Authors: Hortle A. , Otto C. , Underschultz J.
Published: March 2013

Downhole formation pressure data can be difficult to obtain and the quality of the data produced varies significantly with age, tool type and geology. Furthermore, even if a new well is characterised effectively and high quality data obtained, the radius of investigation is small compared to the size of the area typically being assessed. Nevertheless, understanding the subsurface formation pressure system is a prerequisite for any basin or reservoir evaluation during exploration, appraisal and production. It requires integrating pressure and subsurface data from spatially disparate wells, and requires direct, quantitative comparison of historical and contemporary data‐sets. This comparison needs to be objective, repeatable and robust.

This paper describes a qualitative system for systematically and objectively comparing all types of formation pressure measurements to provide a basis for a qualitative interpretation of the subsurface formation pressure system. The application of the system consists of a set of questions designed to assess the quality and quantity of formation pressure data available from information in the well completion report. Each question defines quantitative limits for key pressure test parameters that determine the quality class of the formation pressure of that test. The questions require a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, and the cumulative set of answers results in a code that reflects the overall quality of the data. The resulting set of codes can be used directly or can be further subdivided into a set of five reliability classes.

The system does not assess the accuracy of an individual pressure test, but provides a context for meaningful comparisons to be made of formation pressure data acquired under spatially and temporally disparate conditions. This allows for an interpretation of the data to be made that accounts for the variable reliability of individual data points. The system is generic and can be applied to any basin, onshore or offshore. It is suitable for field‐scale studies up to basin‐scale studies and can be applied to producing or non‐producing data. This paper outlines the underlying principles and the methodology required to apply the quality code system. It includes examples of how application of both the quality codes and the reliability classes can simplify the interpretation of a scattered data‐set and provide tools to effectively communicate the results.
Quantification of hepatitis B surface antigen and E antigen: correlation between Elecsys and Architect assays
Authors: Zhou B. , Liu M. , Lv G. , Zheng H. , Wang Y. , Sun J. , Hou J.
Published: March 2013

Quantification of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and their change model during treatment are emerging as a useful tool for assessing the outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and predicting the efficacy of antiviral therapy. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of the Elecsys and Architect assays for HBsAg and HBeAg quantification. Quantification of HBsAg and HBeAg, determined by these two assays, were assessed in 1292 sera from patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB). HBeAg quantification in serum was performed by calibrating the results through HBeAg Paul‐Ehrlich international (PEI) reference standard. The HBV genotype was determined by direct sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Of 1292 samples, the distribution of genotype was 514 (39.78%) genotype B, 776 (60.06%) genotype C, 2 (0.16%) genotype D. The results of HBsAg and HBeAg quantification between the Architect and Elecsys assays were significantly correlated (HBsAg: r = 0.939; HBeAg: r = 0.987), independent of HBV genotype and treatment phase. The mean differences between the two methods (the log10 [Elecsys] ‐ the log10 [Architect]) were 0.075 log10 IU/mL and −0.149 log10PE IU/mL in quantifying HBsAg and HBeAg, respectively. This study demonstrates a high correlation between the Elecsys and the Architect assays in quantifying HBsAg and HBeAg, regardless of HBV genotype. Both the two assays can be used to monitor the HBsAg and HBeAg levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B.