bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High rates of sexually transmissible infections in HIV-positive patients in the Australian HIV Observational Database: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Mulhall Brian P. , Wright Stephen , Allen Debbie , Brown Katherine , Dickson Bridget , Grotowski Miriam , Jackson Eva , Petoumenos Kathy , Read Phillip , Read Timothy , Russell Darren , Smith David J. , Templeton David J. , Fairley Christopher K. , Law Matthew G.
Published: August 2014

Background In HIV-positive people, sexually transmissible infections (STIs) probably increase the infectiousness of HIV. Methods: In 2010, we established a cohort of individuals (n = 554) from clinics in the Australian HIV Observational Database (AHOD). We calculated retrospective rates for four STIs for 2005–10 and prospective incidence rates for 2010–11. Results: At baseline (2010), patient characteristics were similar to the rest of AHOD. Overall incidence was 12.5 per 100 person-years. Chlamydial infections increased from 3.4 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.9–5.7) in 2005 to 6.7 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 4.5–9.5) in 2011, peaking in 2010 (8.1 per 100 person-years; 95% CI: 5.6–11.2). Cases were distributed among rectal (61.9%), urethral (34%) and pharyngeal (6.3%) sites. Gonococcal infections increased, peaking in 2010 (4.7 per 100 person-years; 95% CI: 5.6–11.2; Ptrend = 0.0099), distributed among rectal (63.9%), urethral (27.9%) and pharyngeal (14.8%) sites. Syphilis showed several peaks, the largest in 2008 (5.3 per 100 person-years; 95% CI: 3.3–8.0); the overall trend was not significant (P = 0.113). Genital warts declined from 7.5 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 4.8–11.3) in 2005 to 2.4 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 1.1–4.5) in 2011 (Ptrend = 0.0016). Conclusions: For chlamydial and gonococcal infections, incidence was higher than previous Australian estimates among HIV-infected men who have sex with men, increasing during 2005–2011. Rectal infections outnumbered infections at other sites. Syphilis incidence remained high but did not increase; that of genital warts was lower and decreased.
Chapter 3. From lexicalization to constructional generalizations
Authors: Lauwers Peter
Published: August 2014

This article deals with French constructions such as sous l’emprise de (‘under the influence of’), which have been called locutions prépositives (complex prepositions) in the French linguistic tradition. Putting the issue of lexicalization aside, I establish regular complex form-meaning patterns (i.e. constructions) within a family of formally related complex prepositions introduced by sous (‘under’). I show that the construction as a whole (which is part of a network of more or less schematic constructions) exhibits formal and semantic properties that cannot be ascribed to its constituent parts. The analysis is confirmed by showing that there are coercion effects exerted by the construction on the central noun.
Verb serialisation in northern dialects of Khoekhoegowab
Authors: Haacke Wilfrid
Published: August 2014

This paper investigates the genetic affiliation of the three northernmost dialects of Namibian Khoekhoegowab, viz. ǂAakhoe, Haiǁom and Sesfontein Damara, on the strength of serial verb formation. The paper proceeds from Güldemann’s hypothesis that these and other lects developed through Khoekhoeisation by ‘Nama’. The claim that Khoe-Kwadi languages do not employ verb serialisation is refuted by data from Khoekhoe as well as from Kalahari Khoe, and it is shown that ǂAakhoe in particular employs a juncture a in serialisation in ways similar to those of Naro and Gǀui. The use of this juncture is argued to be strong evidence of a close genetic link of ǂAakhoe (and, to a lesser extent Haiǁom) to West Kalahari Khoe. The evidence is offered in support of my hypothesis that the Damara (with the ǂAakhoe and Haiǁom) already became Khoe speakers before they encountered the Nama.
Areal and inherited aspects of compound verbs in Khoekhoe
Authors: Rapold Christian J.
Published: August 2014

Verb compounding in Khoekhoe, a branch of the Khoe family, has been claimed to be directly related to similar constructions in the Tuu family. Compound verbs are also found in the other primary branch of Khoe, Kalahari Khoe. In this paper I argue that verb compounding in both Khoe branches is inherited from Proto-Khoe. More specifically, I claim that contrary to a widely held opinion the so-called ‘juncture’ – a marker typically found in compound verbs in Kalahari Khoe – has a cognate in Khoekhoe in the form of a specific tone change. This means that in the area of verb compounding the two branches are more similar and the Tuu substrate in Khoekhoe is weaker than appears to have been thought.
Demonstrative and relative constructions in Ju
Authors: Lionnet Florian
Published: August 2014

This paper focuses on the various demonstrative and relative constructions attested in the two Ju dialectal groups for which some level of documentation is available, viz. North-Central and South-Eastern, and proposes a unified diachronic account of the diversity of properties and uses of these constructions. The main claim is that exophoric demonstratives were verbs in Proto-Ju. Demonstrative and relative constructions in modern Ju dialects are shown to derive through various grammaticalisation pathways from these Proto-Ju verbal demonstratives and a relative construction still marginally attested in modern North-Central Ju. The complexity found in North-Central lects is due to numerous innovations (in particular the depredicativisation of non-canonical verbal categories) and the co-occurrence of many historical layers in synchrony. Juǀ’hoan, on the other hand underwent only minor changes, preserving most of the properties of the Proto-Ju demonstrative and relative constructions.
N!aqriaxe (ǂ’Amkoe) spatial terms from a genealogical and areal perspective
Authors: Gerlach Linda , Berthold Falko
Published: August 2014

This paper discusses the spatial terminology of the N!aqriaxe variety of
ǂ’Amkoe and compares it to the spatial terms of the two genealogically unrelated languages Taa and Gǀui, as well as to the related Ju dialect cluster. Taa, Gǀui, N!aqriaxe and some of the Ju varieties are spoken in or close to the Central Kalahari and are in contact with each other. All the languages investigated here have grammaticalised spatial terminology from different lexical sources, such as body parts or landmarks. We analyse the N!aqriaxe spatial terminology and investigate to what extent it is borrowed or inherited. Similarities across languages with respect to spatial terminology can sometimes be observed not only in the terms themselves, but also in spatial conceptualisations; since grammaticalisation pathways can also be borrowed, it is worthwhile to investigate these as well.
ǂ’Amkoe body part terminology in comparative perspective
Authors: Sands Bonny , Honken Henry
Published: August 2014

The genealogical relationship of the ǂ’Amkoe language to the Ju languages in a newly labelled Kx’a family has been recently demonstrated (Heine & Honken 2010). In this paper, we support this relationship with additional etymologies which have been identified through comparison with lexical items documented from ǂ’Amkoe. Further, we discuss the areal relationships apparent in the ǂ’Amkoe lexicon, following Traill’s (1973: 27) observation that the proportion of ǂ’Amkoe cognates with other ‘Khoisan’ languages is “50% Northern, 33% Southern and 17% Central”. We will compare lexical items in ǂ’Amkoe with Ju, Khoe and Tuu languages of the Kalahari Basin Area (cf. Güldemann 1998b). Body part terminology is often considered to be an area of the lexicon which is relatively resistant to borrowing, yet we still find high percentages of body part terms which are apparently cognate with unrelated languages such as Gǀui and Taa. These findings underscore the danger inherent in a language classification which relies primarily on lexical data alone.
Profiling Discourse Participants
Authors: De Cock Barbara
Published: August 2014

The construction of discourse is a challenging field where many discourse structures and interactional effects remain poorly understood. This analysis provides a systematic explanation for the way in which discourse participants (speaker and hearer) are construed in Spanish through a corpus-driven analysis of informal conversation, TV-debates and parliamentary debates. It deals not only with person deixis, but with the full range of possibilities speakers choose from when profiling their self or their relationship with the interlocutor. This analysis also offers new insights into the operationalization of the concepts of subjectivity and intersubjectivity as tools for the analysis of person reference and genre comparison. The comparative and corpus-driven approach offers methodological tools for genre analysis that can be transposed to other languages and/or genres. The detailed description of three socially highly relevant discourse types from a cognitive-functional perspective makes this book a useful resource not only for pragmatists but also for researchers in political and media discourse.
Against the addressee of speech – Recipient metaphor
Authors: Daniel Michael A.
Published: August 2014

In Standard Average European (SAE), addressees of speech verbs are marked with dative or, in languages lacking cases, with dative-like prepositions. This merger is commonly explained through a metaphor: the information transferred in a speech act is said to be construed as the object being transferred, or Theme, and the addressee as its Recipient. This status of the addressee as a derived concept, a metaphor of the Recipient, and its dative marking in many languages rather than in SAE alone, is the reason why the addressee is usually not considered to be a separate semantic role. Based on data from East Caucasian languages that use different marking for Recipients and addressees of speech, I argue that speech addressees constitute a separate semantic role, also an animate Goal, but not a metaphor of the Recipient. Focusing on case marking assigned by the main speech verb, speech acts are shown to be construed in East Caucasian as spatial configurations: the crucial component is their directedness towards the addressee. In the conclusion, I come back to SAE and question the status of the dative addressees. Taking into account that the dative often develops from lative markers, it is suggested that, in the languages with dative addressees, one should also consider an alternative to the conventional explanation: merging the Recipient and the addressee in one marking may result not from a metaphorical extension but from formal under-specification of two different animate Goals. Keywords: semantic roles; speech verbs; case functions; metaphor; dative; allative; Recipient; Goal; East Caucasian languages
Comorbidity of Depression and Conduct Disorder
Authors: Capaldi Deborah M. , Kim Hyoun K.
Published: August 2014

Both depression and conduct disorders are relatively prevalent and are related to poor long-term outcomes. Despite being characterized by very different symptoms, it is well established that these two disorders co-occur at higher rates than expected by chance, resulting in poorer adjustment for the individual than would result from either problem alone. The termcomorbidityis usually reserved to refer to the association of diagnosed disorders, whereasco-occurrencerefers more broadly to the association of levels of symptoms of conduct problems and depression, which are usually calculated with means or possibly symptoms counts. In the past two decades, researchers have focused particularly on the following issues regarding the comorbidity of depression and conduct disorder: (1) possible causal associations of the two problem behaviors (i.e., do depressive disorders tend to onset after conduct disorders or vice versa); (2) theory regarding causes of the association (i.e., common versus unique risk factors for these two problem behaviors); (3) changes across development (i.e., with age); (4) risks from diagnosed disorders versus symptoms that do not reach diagnostic criteria; (5) outcomes or prognosis (e.g., are outcomes more severe for co-occurring problems than for either problem alone, are there distinct patterns of outcomes associated with co-occurring problems). Within each of these areas there is considerable interest in moderation of effects by gender or gender similarities and differences. This chapter reviews findings pertaining to these issues and presents suggestions for future research. In addition, assessment approaches and clinical implications are discussed.
Eating Disorders
Authors: Keel Pamela K. , Holland Lauren A.
Published: August 2014

This chapter examines patterns of comorbidity between eating disorders and mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders along with evidence regarding support for different theoretical models that may account for these patterns. Although comorbidity estimates may be inflated by reliance on treatment-seeking samples and double counting of symptoms that overlap between syndromes, evidence supports elevated risk of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Data from family and twin studies support that eating and anxiety disorders may have a shared diathesis, consistent with the common cause model. Data from longitudinal studies suggest that eating disorders may increase vulnerability for developing a substance use disorder, consistent with the predisposition model. In contrast, comorbidity between eating and mood disorders, such as depression, remains poorly understood. Clinical issues regarding comorbidity of depression and eating disorders along with guidelines for clinicians treating patients with comorbid depression and eating disorders are discussed.
Pain
Authors: Roditi Daniela , Waxenberg Lori B. , Robinson Michael E.
Published: August 2014

Depression and pain are commonly comorbid and often disabling conditions. This chapter reviews current evidence regarding the extent of comorbidity of these two conditions across different settings. The authors briefly summarize popular theories regarding the frequently disputed causal nature of the pain-depression relationship and address the implications of comorbid pain and depression with regard to treatment outcomes and symptom presentation. Additionally, key shared neurobiological substrates consistent with the symptom presentation and the covariation of pain and depression are discussed. The chapter concludes with a summary of a variety of treatment approaches currently employed in the treatment of pain and depression as well as empirical evidence concerning the efficacy of these various approaches.
Depression and Comorbidity
Authors: Klein Daniel N. , Bufferd Sara J. , Ro Eunyoe , Clark Lee Anna
Published: August 2014

This chapter examines the relation between personality disorder (PD) and depression, disorders that are commonly comorbid in clinical and community populations. This comorbidity presents both clinical and conceptual challenges. In anticipation of the upcoming introduction of theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(fifth edition;DSM-5), we review research on the associations of depression with both PD and traits in order to help bridge the current and future literatures. Issues distinguishing PD and depression are reviewed, including conceptual concerns, the nature of the associations between depression and PD and traits, and current evidence on associations between depression and PD and chief personality trait dimensions. Data are presented from an ongoing study examining associations between depressive symptoms, maladaptive-range personality, and psychosocial functioning using proposedDSM-5criteria for depression and PD trait domains and facets. Depressive disorders exhibit large associations with negative affect and more moderate links with positive affect and conscientiousness/disinhibition, though there appear to be even more differentiated patterns of associations at the facet level. However, our understanding of the processes responsible for the associations of PD and depression is still limited. Despite this lack of clarity, the links between depression and PD and traits have important clinical implications for assessment and treatment of both disorders. Assessment approaches and challenges are discussed, as well as the implications of co-occurring PD and traits for the treatment of depressive disorders. Finally, future research directions are summarized.
Depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Comorbidity
Authors: Najavits Lisa M. , Capezza Nicole M.
Published: August 2014

Depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly comorbid diagnoses following a traumatic event. In this chapter, we explore a range of topics related to comorbid depression and PTSD, including impact, prevalence, shared risk factors, temporal priority, key research areas, intervention strategies, and future research directions. Given the overlap in symptoms and shared risk factors, some researchers have suggested that the comorbidity between depression and PTSD following a traumatic event may be better understood as a single general mood disorder rather than two separate disorders. We examine evidence supporting both possibilities. We briefly review the two research areas that have received the most attention, namely comorbidity related to military traumas and interpersonal abuse. Practical implications, assessments, interventions, and treatment recommendations are also discussed.
Women’s Health
Authors: Buttner Melissa M. , O'Hara Michael W.
Published: August 2014

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a significant mental health problem with deleterious effects, including poor health related quality of life and long-term disability. Epidemiological studies suggest that women in particular are more vulnerable to an increased risk of depression, relative to men, beginning at the time of menarche through the menopausal transition. Depression comorbid with chronic medical conditions can often exacerbate the risk of depression, as well as complicate its recognition and treatment. Depression comorbidity can lead to negative outcomes, including progression of the chronic medical condition, poor treatment adherence, and mortality. In this chapter, we explore chronic medical conditions that are associated with a greater prevalence of depression in women relative to men, including type 2 diabetes, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis. An overview of epidemiology is followed by a discussion of theories explaining depression comorbidity and approaches to recognizing and treating depression in the context of these chronic medical conditions. Finally, we discuss future research directions with the goal of informing clinical research and practice.
The Role of Community- and Home-Based Interventions in Late-Life Depression
Authors: Gitlin Laura N.
Published: August 2014

Depressive disorders are highly prevalent and among the most debilitating conditions in late life. If untreated, depression has profound effects on quality of life and health; it also increases the risk for dementia, other comorbidities, functional decline, and mortality. Although primary care is the principal setting for the detection and treatment of depression, older adults and particularly, minorities do not always receive evidence-based treatment guidelines. Thus, new care models are urgently needed. This chapter considers the role of community- and home-based approaches to depression care, their theoretical underpinnings and advantages, and exemplary programs. Twenty-three rigorously tested community- and home-based interventions with positive depression outcomes are identified, suggesting a robust and growing evidence base. Community- and home-based approaches may overcome persistent mental health disparities by reaching underserved populations, minimizing stigma by normalizing depression detection and delivering treatments at home, and increase access to nonpharmacological approaches—such as psychosocial and behavioral approaches—f or older adults who are at risk for or have late-life depression.
Arts-Based Research Practice
Authors: Chilton Gioia , Leavy Patricia
Published: August 2014

Arts-based research (ABR) is a rapidly growing methodological genre. ABR adapts the tenets of the creative arts in social research in order to make that research publicly accessible, evocative, and engaged. This chapter provides a retrospective and prospective overview of the field, including a review of some of the pioneers of ABR, methodological principles, robust examples of ABR within different artistic genres, assessment criteria, and the future of the field.
Ethnography
Authors: Harrison Anthony Kwame
Published: August 2014

Embracing the trope of ethnography as narrative, this chapter uses the mythic story of Bronislaw Malinowski’s early career and fieldwork as a vehicle through which to explore key aspects of ethnography’s history and development into a distinct form of qualitative research. The reputed “founding father” of the ethnographic approach, Malinowski was a brilliant social scientist, dynamic writer, conceited colonialist, and, above all else, pathetically human. Through a series of intervallic steps—in and out of Malinowski’s path from Poland to the “Cambridge School” and eventually to the western Pacific—I trace the legacy of ethnography to its current position as a critical, historically informed, and unfailingly evolving research endeavor. As a research methodology that has continually reflected on and revised its practices and modes of presentation, ethnography is boundless. Yet minus its political, ethical, and historical moorings, I argue, the complexities of twenty-first-century society render its future uncertain.
The Centrality of Ethics in Qualitative Research
Authors: Traianou Anna
Published: August 2014

This essay illustrates some ethical issues presented in the literature: minimization of harm, respect for individual autonomy, and preservation of privacy. It then examines why research ethics is now treated by qualitative researchers as increasingly central to their work. Key factors here are the rise of ethical regulation and diversification of approaches to qualitative inquiry, with some recent approaches treating ethics as fundamental. The essay notes an important sense in which ethical commitments are central to research: inquiry must be underpinned by epistemic values and virtues that facilitate the production of knowledge. However, it is argued that the increasingly common tendency to make central those principles concerned with how the people being studied should be treated constitutes a form of moralism, characterized as “the vice of overdoing morality.” The essay closes with an attempt to outline the proper role that research ethics ought to play in qualitative research.
Cumulative Expenditures under the DI, SSI, Medicare, and Medicaid Programs for a Cohort of Disabled Working‐Age Adults
Authors: Riley Gerald F. , Rupp Kalman
Published: August 2014

Objective

To estimate cumulative DI, SSI, Medicare, and Medicaid expenditures from initial disability benefit award to death or age 65.

Data Sources

Administrative records for a cohort of new CY2000 DI and SSI awardees aged 18–64.

Study Design

Actual expenditures were obtained for 2000–2006/7. Subsequent expenditures were simulated using a regression‐adjusted Markov process to assign individuals to annual disability benefit coverage states. Program expenditures were simulated conditional on assigned benefit coverage status. Estimates reflect present value of expenditures at initial award in 2000 and are expressed in constant 2012 dollars. Expenditure estimates were also updated to reflect benefit levels and characteristics of new awardees in 2012.

Data Collection

We matched records for a 10 percent nationally representative sample.

Principal Findings

Overall average cumulative expenditures are $292,401 through death or age 65, with 51.4 percent for cash benefits and 48.6 percent for health care. Expenditures are about twice the average for individuals first awarded benefits at age 18–30. Overall average expenditures increased by 10 percent when updated for a simulated 2012 cohort.

Conclusions

Data on cumulative expenditures, especially combined across programs, are useful for evaluating the long‐term payoff of investments designed to modify entry to and exit from the disability rolls.
The Variability of Ecstasy Tablets Composition in Brazil
Authors: Togni Loraine R. , Lanaro Rafael , Resende Rodrigo R. , Costa Jose L.
Published: August 2014

The content of ecstasy tablets has been changing over the years, and nowadays 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is not always present in the tablets. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition in the seized tablets labeled as ecstasy. We analyzed samples from 150 different seizures made by Sao Paulo's State Police by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. MDMA was present in 44.7% of the analyzed samples, and another twenty different active substances were identified in these tablets, such as caffeine, 2C‐B, piperazines, amphetamines, phencyclidine, and others. Methamphetamine was present in 22% of these samples. The results demonstrate a huge shift in the pattern of trafficking of synthetic drugs, where MDMA has been replaced in tablets mostly by illicit psychoactive substances, in a clear attempt to bypass the law. The great variability in the tablets composition may lead to an increased risk of drug poisoning.
Sensory Differences Between Beet and Cane Sugar Sources
Authors: Urbanus Brittany L. , Cox Ginnefer O. , Eklund Emily J. , Ickes Chelsea M. , Schmidt Shelly J. , Lee Soo‐Yeun
Published: August 2014

Research concerning the sensory properties of beet and cane sugars is lacking in the scientific literature. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to determine whether a sensory difference was perceivable between beet and cane sugar sources in regard to their (1) aroma‐only, (2) aroma and taste without nose clips, and (3) taste‐only with nose clips, and to characterize the difference between the sugar sources using descriptive analysis. One hundred panelists evaluated sugar samples using a tetrad test. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was identified between beet and cane sugar sources when evaluated by aroma‐only and taste and aroma without nose clips. However, there was no difference when tasted with nose clips. To characterize the observed differences, ten trained panelists identified and quantified key sensory attributes of beet and cane sugars using descriptive analysis. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences (P < 0.05) between sugar samples for 8 of the 10 attributes including: off‐dairy, oxidized, earthy, and barnyard aroma, fruity and burnt sugar aroma‐by‐mouth, sweet aftertaste, and burnt sugar aftertaste. The sensory profile of beet sugar was characterized by off‐dairy, oxidized, earthy, and barnyard aromas and by a burnt sugar aroma‐by‐mouth and aftertaste, whereas cane sugar was characterized by a fruity aroma‐by‐mouth and sweet aftertaste. This study shows that beet and cane sugar sources can be differentiated by their aroma and provides a sensory profile characterizing the differences. As sugar is used extensively as a food ingredient, sensory differences between beet and cane sugar sources once incorporated into different product matrices should be studied as a next step.
Institutional Reforms to Enhance Urban Water Infrastructure with Climate Change Uncertainty
Authors: Ananda Jayanath
Published: August 2014

Climate change adds another layer of uncertainty to the complex issue of urban water infrastructure provision. Current institutional configurations surrounding infrastructure investments are deemed inflexible and ill‐equipped to deal with climate uncertainty. This paper evaluates the regulatory and planning frameworks surrounding the urban water infrastructure provision in Victoria. Regulatory inflexibility, lack of clarity in the objectives of the water agencies and opaque supply augmentation policies constrain water businesses from making flexible infrastructure decisions. Future reforms need to focus on clarifying roles and objectives of water agencies, removing barriers to supply augmentation options including inter‐sectoral transfers and a regulatory model that embeds flexibility in infrastructure decision processes.
Emergency Department Provider Preferences Related to Clinical Practice Guidelines for Tobacco Cessation: A Multicenter Survey
Authors: Walters Elizabeth L. , Reibling Ellen T. , Wilber Scott T. , Sullivan Ashley F. , Gaeta Theodore J. , Camargo Carlos A. , Boudreaux Edwin D.
Published: August 2014

Objectives

The objective was to assess current emergency department (ED) provider practices and preferences for tobacco cessation interventions. The ED is an opportune place to initiate smoking cessation interventions. However, little is known about ED provider current practices and preferences for cessation counseling in the ED.

Methods

This was a survey of ED providers conducted in 2008–2009 (including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses), working at least half‐time at 10 U.S. academic EDs, regarding adherence to clinical practice guidelines (“5 As”) and preferences for cessation interventions/styles. Data analysis occurred in 2012–2013.

Results

The response rate was 64% (800 out of 1,246 completed surveys). Providers reported strongest adherence to asking about patient smoking status, followed by advising, with significant variance by clinical role. Assessing, assisting, and arranging support for patients was low overall. Most frequently used interventions were to provide patients with a list of telephone numbers for stop‐smoking counseling (87%), pamphlets on smoking health risks and the benefits of stopping (85%), and referrals to the National Toll‐Free Smoker's Quitline (84%). Most providers (80%) were supportive of personally conducting brief (less than 3 minutes) smoking cessation counseling sessions during the ED visit, emphasizing education and encouragement. The least appealing intervention was writing a prescription for nicotine replacement therapies or medications to stop smoking (35%).

Conclusions

Interventions most likely to be used were brief and delivered with a positive tone and included referral to external resources. The logical next step is to design and test interventions that ED providers find acceptable.
Effective Ovarian Stimulation in a Patient with Resistant Ovary Syndrome and Antigonadotrophin Antibodies
Authors: Rogenhofer Nina , Pavlik Roman , Jeschke Udo , Wypior Gabriele , Ochsenkühn Robert , Thaler Christian J.
Published: August 2014

Problem

We report on a successful ovarian stimulation and pregnancy in a patient with ‘resistant ovary syndrome’ (ROS) and antigonadotrophin antibodies. ROS is characterized by high endogenous gonadotrophins, low estradiol, normal ovarian antral follicle counts and normal antimuellerian hormone values.

Method of Study

After cyclical hormone treatment, downregulation with GnRH analogue and ICSI procedure followed. Granulosa cells were treated with LH, FSH or hMG and expression of receptors for FSH, LH, oestrogen receptor beta (ERb) and progesterone receptor A (PR‐A) was determined. Serum of the patient was analysed for antibodies directed against hMG.

Results

After fertilization of ten metaphase II oocytes and transfer of two blastocysts, a singleton pregnancy was established. Stimulation of granulosa cells with FSH, LH and hMG upregulated ERb and PR‐A. Dot blot analysis showed strong reactivity with hMG but not with recFSH.

Conclusion

This patient with normal expression of gonadotrophin receptors showed antibodies directed to hMG but not to recFSH.
Score test variable screening
Authors: Zhao Sihai Dave , Li Yi
Published: August 2014

Variable screening has emerged as a crucial first step in the analysis of high‐throughput data, but existing procedures can be computationally cumbersome, difficult to justify theoretically, or inapplicable to certain types of analyses. Motivated by a high‐dimensional censored quantile regression problem in multiple myeloma genomics, this article makes three contributions. First, we establish a score test‐based screening framework, which is widely applicable, extremely computationally efficient, and relatively simple to justify. Secondly, we propose a resampling‐based procedure for selecting the number of variables to retain after screening according to the principle of reproducibility. Finally, we propose a new iterative score test screening method which is closely related to sparse regression. In simulations we apply our methods to four different regression models and show that they can outperform existing procedures. We also apply score test screening to an analysis of gene expression data from multiple myeloma patients using a censored quantile regression model to identify high‐risk genes.
Estimating the Aboveground Biomass of Bornean Forest
Authors: Budiharta Sugeng , Slik Ferry , Raes Niels , Meijaard Erik , Erskine Peter D. , Wilson Kerrie A.
Published: August 2014

We apply a process‐based model, called 3‐PG (physiological principles for predicting growth), to estimate aboveground biomass for the primary forests of Borneo. Using publicly available soil and climate data, and parameterized with physiological traits of Bornean forest, the modeled aboveground biomass and basal area showed statistically significant relationships with field‐measured data from 85 sites across four major forest types. Our results highlight the possibility to expand the application of 3‐PG to forests of varying condition, which would facilitate inclusion of modeled forest biomass data for developing a Tier 3 carbon inventory system for Borneo.
Air pollution and emergency department visits for epistaxis
Authors: Szyszkowicz M. , Shutt R. , Kousha T. , Rowe B.H.
Published: August 2014

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the association between outdoor ambient air pollution and emergency department (ED) visits for epistaxis.

Design

Cross‐sectional study, case–crossover design.

Setting

ED visit data were obtained for Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, for a period of 10 years starting 1 April 1992 and ending March 31st of 2002. The data on ED visits were supplied by Capital Health for the five major acute care hospitals in the Edmonton area.

Participants

The analysis was performed for the population as a whole (N = 15 038) and split by sex: males (N = 8587) and females (N = 6451).

Main outcome measures

We explored associations between ambient concentrations of air pollutants (CO, NO2, SO2, O3, PM10, PM2.5) lagged by 0–4 days and ED visits for epistaxis in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Results

Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported for an increase in an interquartile range (IQR) of pollutant concentration. We obtained positive and statistically significant results for all patients with epistaxis; exposure to O3 with IQR = 14 ppb, OR = 1.05 (95% CI: 1.00–1.09, lag 0), and for males (age < 25 years), OR = 1.16 (1.03–1.30), lag 4; and to PM10 with IQR = 15 μg/m3, OR = 1.02 (1.00–1.05, lag 3). These results were stronger for older (age > 24 years) females.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that there may be an association between air pollutant exposure, specifically ozone and PM10, and the number of ED visits for epistaxis.
Diagnosis, management and outcome of early anastomotic leakage following colorectal anastomosis using a compression device: is it different?
Authors: Dauser B. , Herbst F.
Published: August 2014

Aim

Compression anastomosis has proved to be safe for rectal reconstruction with leak rates comparable to those observed using circular stapling devices. However, there are no data on whether the metallic compression ring alters the ease of diagnosis or the treatment in cases of leakage. In this study, we present our experience with early leakage following compression anastomosis.

Method

A prospective registry was used for data review. Patients with anastomotic leakage following compression anastomosis between November 2008 and September 2013 were included.

Results

In all, 197 (92 female) patients were operated using a novel compression device. Early leakage was found in 10 (5.1%) patients after a median of 5 (3–14) days. The radiologist was able to detect leakage using CT in nine out of 10 cases unequivocally. Removal of the ring was necessary in eight of the 10 cases, and salvage of the anastomosis was feasible on six occasions. In all diverted cases with a low anastomosis, a transanal repair of the defect was feasible in three cases, including a single patient with complete separation of the anastomosis.

Conclusion

Artefacts on the CT scan caused by the compression ring did not hamper the diagnosis of anastomotic leakage. Removal of the ring in the early postoperative period is not associated with complete separation of the bowel ends. Salvage of anastomosis is feasible in most cases.
N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor antibody encephalitis: how much treatment is enough?
Authors: Byrne Susan , Lim Ming
Published: August 2014

This commentary is on the case report by Tatencloux et al. on pages 95–99 of this issue.
Prescribing patterns and adherence to medication among South‐Asian, Chinese and white people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Chong E. , Wang H. , King‐Shier K. M. , Quan H. , Rabi D. M. , Khan N. A.
Published: August 2014

Aim

To determine the prescribing of and adherence to oral hypoglycaemic agents, insulin, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and statin therapy among South‐Asian, Chinese and white people with newly diagnosed diabetes.

Methods

The present study was a population‐based cohort study using administrative and pharmacy databases to include all South‐Asian, Chinese and white people aged ≥ 35 years with diabetes living in British Columbia, Canada (1997–2006). Adherence to each class of medication was measured using proportion of days covered over 1 year with optimum adherence defined as ≥ 80%.

Results

The study population included 9529 South‐Asian, 14 084 Chinese and 143 630 white people with diabetes. The proportion of people who were prescribed angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, statin or oral hypoglycaemic agents was ≤ 50% for all groups. South‐Asian and Chinese people had significantly lower adherence for all medications than white people, with the lowest adherence to angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor treatment (South‐Asian people: adjusted odds ratio 0.37, 95% CI 0.34–0.39; P<0.0001; Chinese people: adjusted odds ratio 0.50, 95% CI 0.47–0.54; P<0.0001) and statin therapy (South‐Asian people: adjusted odds ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.41 – 0.53, P < 0.0001; Chinese people: adjusted odds ratio 0.72, 95% CI 0.67 – 0.77; P<0.0001) compared with white people.

Conclusion

Adherence to evidence‐based pharmacotherapy was substantially worse among the South‐Asian and Chinese populations. Care providers need to be alerted to the high levels of non‐adherence in these groups and the underlying causes need to be investigated.
Preoperative Assessment of Left Ventricular Diastolic Function and Right Ventricular Systolic Function Have Independent and Incremental Prognostic Value in Prediction of Early Postoperative Mortality in Redo Valve Surgery
Authors: Mordi Ify , Al‐Attar Nawwar , Tzemos Nikolaos
Published: August 2014

Objectives

Redo valve surgery is associated with increased risk of mortality that may be underestimated by current risk scores. In this study, we hypothesized that additional echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular diastolic and right ventricular systolic function would have independent prognostic value in the prediction of early postoperative mortality in patients undergoing redo valve surgery.

Methods

We prospectively evaluated 145 patients who underwent redo mitral or aortic valve surgery at our center. All patients underwent comprehensive preoperative echocardiography. The primary outcome was all‐cause mortality at 30 days.

Results

The 30‐day mortality rate was 11.7%. Independent of EuroSCORE II both preoperative left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and right ventricular systolic dysfunction were a significant multivariable predictors of 30‐day mortality (HR 5.47; 95% CI 1.12–26.74, P = 0.036 and HR 4.09; 95% CI 1.11–15.07, P = 0.035, respectively) in addition to EuroSCORE II. Diastolic dysfunction remained significant when added to other clinically significant variables. The assessment of both parameters increased the discriminatory power of EuroSCORE II for prediction of early mortality and the combination identified a group at very high risk of mortality.

Conclusions

Comprehensive preoperative echocardiography including assessment of left ventricular diastolic and right ventricular systolic function has independent prognostic value over and above EuroSCORE II in the prediction of early postoperative mortality in patients undergoing redo valve surgery. The results of preoperative echocardiography should be taken into account during the selection and perioperative management of patients undergoing redo valvular surgery.
Two‐Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography for the Prediction of Reversible Myocardial Dysfunction after Acute Myocardial Infarction: Comparison with Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Orii Makoto , Hirata Kumiko , Tanimoto Takashi , Shiono Yasutsugu , Shimamura Kunihiro , Ishibashi Kohei , Yamano Takashi , Ino Yasushi , Kitabata Hironori , Yamaguchi Tomoyuki , Kubo Takashi , Imanishi Toshio , Akasaka Takashi
Published: August 2014

Background

We aimed to determine the predictive value of longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strains by two‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) for improvement in cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared with that of contrast‐enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (ceMRI).

Methods

In 35 patients with first‐time AMI, myocardial viability was assessed to predict recovery of function at follow‐up (7 ± 2 months), prospectively. For each left ventricular segment, each peak strains were determined using 2DSTE, and the relative extent of hyperenhancement was assessed using ceMRI.

Results

Of 176 segments with impaired function early after AMI, 99 segments showed regional recovery. Compared with segments showing functional improvement, those that failed to recover had lower peak radial (20 ± 16% vs. 32 ± 21%; P < 0.001), circumferential (−10 ± 5% vs. −20 ± 6%; P < 0.001), and longitudinal (−10 ± 5% vs. −14 ± 5%; P < 0.001) strain and a greater extent of hyperenhancement (71 ± 22% vs. 27 ± 20%; P < 0.001). Among strain parameters, circumferential strain yielded greater area under the curve (AUC; 0.899) than radial and longitudinal strain (0.682 and 0.718, respectively). The predictive value of circumferential strain (sensitivity 81.0%, specificity 79.6%, at a cutoff value of −14.3%) could be comparable to that of hyperenhancement (sensitivity 86.2%, specificity 83.9%, AUC 0.921, at a cutoff value of 47%) (P = 0.439).

Conclusion

Circumferential strain can identify reversible myocardial dysfunction after AMI with a diagnostic ability comparable to that of ceMRI.
Surgical extrusion of multiple teeth with crown‐root fractures: a case report with 18‐months follow up
Authors: Lee Ji‐Hyun , Yoon Sung‐Min
Published: August 2014

The objective of this case report is to describe the treatment procedure involved in surgical extrusion of multiple crown‐root fractures and review the critical factors to be considered for successful and predictable outcome. The treatment of complicated crown‐root fracture in anterior teeth is likely to compromise function and aesthetics when approached with conventional surgical crown lengthening. Orthodontic extrusion has also been suggested; however, it is time‐consuming, aesthetically compromising and hardly applicable on multiple anterior crown‐root fractures due to the limited source of anchorage. To overcome the shortcomings of suggested treatment modalities, we performed atraumatic surgical extrusion of four anterior fractured teeth along with their rotation within the sockets. The teeth were gently luxated and extruded to the desired position, minimizing damage to the marginal alveolar bone and root surfaces without rigid splint. The treated teeth were functioning normally 18 months after the procedure, and the mobility and probing depths were within normal limits. Radiographs revealed functional periodontal ligament space along with lamina dura formation around the extruded roots. There was neither root resorption nor significant marginal bone loss. This technique might be a promising alternative to conventional crown lengthening, especially in the anterior zone to avoid functional or aesthetic complications.
Lesions to the CA2 region of the hippocampus impair social memory in mice
Authors: Stevenson Erica L. , Caldwell Heather K.
Published: August 2014

The function of the CA2 region of the hippocampus is poorly understood. Although the CA1 and CA3 regions have been extensively studied, for years the CA2 region has primarily been viewed as a linking area between the two. However, the CA2 region is known to have distinct neurochemical and structural features that are different from the other parts of the hippocampus and in recent years it has been suggested that the CA2 region may play a role in the formation and/or recall of olfactory‐based memories needed for normal social behavior. Although this hypothesis has been supported by hippocampal lesion studies that have included the CA2 region, no studies have attempted to specifically lesion the CA2 region of the hippocampus in mice to determine the effects on social recognition memory and olfaction. To fill this knowledge gap, we sought to perform excitotoxic N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate lesions of the CA2 region and determine the effects on social recognition memory. We predicted that lesions of the CA2 region would impair social recognition memory. We then went on to test olfaction in CA2‐lesioned mice, as social memory requires a functional olfactory system. Consistent with our prediction, we found that CA2‐lesioned animals had impaired social recognition. These findings are significant because they confirmed that the CA2 region of the hippocampus is a part of the neural circuitry that regulates social recognition memory, which may have implications for our understanding of the neural regulation of social behavior across species.