bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Human-Altered Habitats by Bull Sharks in a Florida Nursery Area
Authors: Curtis Tobey H. , Parkyn Daryl C. , Burgess George H.
Published: February 2013

Bull Sharks Carcharhinus leucas in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, have been documented to frequently occur in human-altered habitats, including dredged creeks and channels, boat marinas, and power plant outfalls. The purpose of this study was to examine the short-term movements of age-0 and juvenile Bull Sharks to quantify the extent to which those movements occur in altered habitats. A total of 16 short-term active acoustic tracks (2–26 h) were carried out with 9 individuals, and a 10th individual was fitted with a long-term coded transmitter for passive monitoring by fixed listening stations. Movement and activity space statistics indicated high levels of area reuse over the span of tracking (hours to days). All but one shark used

altered habitat at some point during tracking, such that 51% of all tracking positions occurred in some type of altered habitat. Of the sharks that used altered habitat, the mean (±1 SD) percent of positions within altered habitat was 66 (±40)%. Furthermore, tracks for 3 individuals indicated selection for altered habitats. The single passively monitored Bull Shark was detected in power plant outfalls almost daily over a 5-month period, providing the first indication of longer-term fidelity to thermal effluents. Use of one dredged creek was influenced by local salinity, the tracked sharks dispersing from the altered habitat when salinity declined. The affinity of young Bull Sharks to altered habitats in this system could help explain their reported accumulation of a variety of harmful contaminants, which could negatively affect their health and survival.

Received July 27, 2012; accepted November 28, 2012
EBSeq: an empirical Bayes hierarchical model for inference in RNA-seq experiments
Authors: Leng Ning , Dawson John A. , Thomson James A. , Ruotti Victor , Rissman Anna I. , Smits Bart M. G. , Haag Jill D. , Gould Michael N. , Stewart Ron M. , Kendziorski Christina
Published: February 2013

Motivation: Messenger RNA expression is important in normal development and differentiation, as well as in manifestation of disease. RNA-seq experiments allow for the identification of differentially expressed (DE) genes and their corresponding isoforms on a genome-wide scale. However, statistical methods are required to ensure that accurate identifications are made. A number of methods exist for identifying DE genes, but far fewer are available for identifying DE isoforms. When isoform DE is of interest, investigators often apply gene-level (count-based) methods directly to estimates of isoform counts. Doing so is not recommended. In short, estimating isoform expression is relatively straightforward for some groups of isoforms, but more challenging for others. This results in estimation uncertainty that varies across isoform groups. Count-based methods were not designed to accommodate this varying uncertainty, and consequently, application of them for isoform inference results in reduced power for some classes of isoforms and increased false discoveries for others.

Results: Taking advantage of the merits of empirical Bayesian methods, we have developed EBSeq for identifying DE isoforms in an RNA-seq experiment comparing two or more biological conditions. Results demonstrate substantially improved power and performance of EBSeq for identifying DE isoforms. EBSeq also proves to be a robust approach for identifying DE genes.

Availability and implementation: An R package containing examples and sample datasets is available at http://www.biostat.wisc.edu/∼kendzior/EBSEQ/.

Contact:  kendzior@biostat.wisc.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Spontaneous inversion of in-plane polarity ofa-oriented GaN domains laterally overgrown on patternedr-plane sapphire substrates
Authors: Shin Donggyu , Lee Sanghwa , Jue Miyeon , Lee Wooyoung , Oh Soyoung , Kim Chinkyo
Published: February 2013

Spontaneously regulated in-plane polarity inversion ofa-oriented GaN domains has been demonstrated for the first time. Crystallographic analysis revealed that each domain grown on circular-hole-patternedr-plane sapphire substrates has basal faces with oppositely oriented in-plane polarity. The inverted orientation of in-plane polarity on the opposite basal faces is not due to merging between in-plane polarity-inverted domains nucleated on the patternedr-plane sapphire substrate, but it was found to be due to spontaneous formation of an inversion domain boundary on the growth fronts of existing domains. This result provides new insights into controlling the in-plane polarity ofa-oriented GaN, because the nucleation of in-plane polarity-inverted domains ofa-oriented GaN onr-plane sapphire is symmetrically not allowed.
Talaya batraba gen. et sp. nov. – the First Nymph of a Protopsyllidiid (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psyllomorpha) from the Lower Cretaceous Amber of Lebanon
Authors: DROHOJOWSKA Jowita , SZWEDO Jacek , AZAR Dany
Published: February 2013

A hemipteran nymph of the sternorrhynchan lineage, placed in the family Protopsyllidiidae is the first found in the fossil record, based on an inclusion in amber from the Lower Cretaceous of Hammana / Mdeyrij, Abeih Formation, Central Lebanon. Based on distinctive features such as a median dorsal elevation and the presence of a large, conical, exposed, setiferous anal tube, the fossil is placed in Talaya batraba gen. et sp. nov. and the newly erected taxon is compared to known nymphs of extinct Protopsyllidiidae. The evolutionary traits of the family and its relatives are considered.
The Ore‐forming Mechanism of the Jiajika Pegmatite‐Type Rare Metal Deposit in Western Sichuan Province: Evidence from Isotope Dating
Authors: Jiankang LI , Denghong WANG , Yuchuan CHEN
Published: February 2013

Granitic pegmatites are commonly thought to form by fractional crystallization or by liquid immiscibility of granitic magma; however, these proposals are based mainly on analyses of fluid and melt inclusions. Here, we use the Jiajika pegmatite deposit, the largest spodumene deposit in Asia, as a case study to investigate ore forming processes using isotope dating. Daring of a single granite sample from the Jiajika deposit using multiple methods gave a zircon U–Pb SHRIMP age of 208.4 ± 3.9 Ma, an 40Ar/39Ar age for muscovite of 182.9 ± 1.7 Ma, and an 40Ar/39Ar age for biotite of 169.9 ± 1.6 Ma. Based on these dating results and the 40Ar/39Ar age of muscovite from the Jiajika pegmatite, a temperature–time cooling track for the Jiajika granite was constructed using closure temperatures of the different isotope systems. This track indicates that the granite cooled over ∼40 m. y., with segregation of the pegmatite fluid from the granitic magma at a temperature of ∼700°C. This result suggests that the Jiajika pegmatite formed not by fractional crystallization, but by segregation of an immiscible liquid from the granitic magma. When compared with fractional crystallization, the relatively early timing of segregation of an immiscible liquid from a granitic magma can prevent the precipitation of ore‐forming elements during crystallization, and suggests that liquid immiscibility could be an important ore‐forming process for rare metal pegmatities. We also conclude that isotope dating is a method that can potentially be used to determine the dominant ore‐forming processes that occurred during the formation of granite‐related ore deposits, and suggest that this method can be employed to determine the formation history of the W–Sn ore deposits found elsewhere within the Nanling Metallogenic Belt.
“Are We Doing Damage?” Choosing an Urban Public School in an Era of Parental Anxiety
Authors: Cucchiara Maia
Published: February 2013

There is an ample scholarly and popular literature describing the rise in “anxiety” among middle‐class parents. This paper draws from a study of urban middle‐class parents who were considering sending their children to public school. Focusing on one neighborhood and its school, it describes the impact of anxiety on the choice process. It further examines the emergence of a counter‐movement among parents who saw their choice of the school as rejection of contemporary “helicopter parenting.”
Long‐term treatment with romiplostim in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia: safety and efficacy
Authors: Kuter David J. , Bussel James B. , Newland Adrian , Baker Ross I. , Lyons Roger M. , Wasser Jeffrey , Viallard Jean‐Francois , Macik Gail , Rummel Mathias , Nie Kun , Jun Susie
Published: February 2013

Romiplostim was effective, safe, and well‐tolerated over 6–12 months of continuous treatment in Phase 3 trials in patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). This report describes up to 5 years of weekly treatment with romiplostim in 292 adult ITP patients in a long‐term, single‐arm, open‐label study. Outcome measures included adverse events (including bleeding, thrombosis, malignancy, and reticulin/fibrosis), platelet response (platelet count >50 × 109 per litre), and the proportion of patients requiring rescue treatments. Treatment–related serious adverse events were infrequent and did not increase with longer treatment. No new classes of adverse events emerged. Thrombotic events occurred in 6·5% of patients and were not associated with platelet count. Median platelet counts of 50–200 × 109 per litre were maintained with stable doses of romiplostim (mean 5–8 μg/kg; generally self‐administered at home) throughout the study. A platelet response was achieved at least once by 95% of patients, with a platelet response maintained by all patients on a median 92% of study visits. There was a low rate of bleeding and infrequent need for rescue treatments. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that romiplostim was safe and well‐tolerated over 614 patient‐years of exposure in ITP patients, and that efficacy was maintained with stable dosing for up to 5 years of continuous treatment.
Exposure to FDI and new plant survival: evidence in Canada
Authors: Wang Yanling
Published: February 2013

Abstract This paper examines the effects of FDI on indigenous new plants’ survival, through intra‐ and inter‐industry economic linkages. It includes all manufacturing plants born to indigenous firms from 1973 to 1997 in Canada. The study finds that indigenous plants tend to have shorter lives (more deaths) due to competition with FDI affiliates operating in the same industry, but they benefit from FDI affiliates operating both in downstream industries as customers and in upstream industries as suppliers. The positive inter‐industry effects of FDI outweigh the negative intra‐industry effects, resulting in a net positive impact of FDI on the durations of indigeneous plants.
Teen families, welfare transfers, and the minimum wage: evidence from Canada
Authors: Sen Anindya , Ariizumi Hideki
Published: February 2013

Abstract This study evaluates the impacts of welfare transfers and the minimum wage on teen family formation by pooling provincial data from Canada between 1990 and 2005. OLS estimates suggest that welfare transfers have had limited impact on teen births. On the other hand, a 10% increase in the minimum wage is significantly correlated with a 3%–5% rise in teen birth rates. This finding is explained by further regressions, which reveal that an increase in the minimum wage is significantly associated with (1) higher earnings among male teens, (2) an increase in teen marriage rates, and (3) an increase in fertility among married teens but not among unmarried females. Finally, estimates based on the 2003 and 2005 waves of the Canadian Community Health Surveys demonstrate that married teens are more likely to engage in sex as well as unprotected intercourse in comparison with single teens.
In pursuit of excellence: an integrated care pathway for C1 inhibitor deficiency
Authors: Manson A L , Price A , Dempster J , Clinton-Tarestad P , Greening C , Enti R , Hill S , Grigoriadou S , Buckland M S , Longhurst H J
Published: February 2013

There are estimated to be approximately 1500 people in the United Kingdom with C1 inhibitor (C1INH) deficiency. At BartsHealth National Health Service (NHS) Trust we manage 133 patients with this condition and we believe that this represents one of the largest cohorts in the United Kingdom. C1INH deficiency may be hereditary or acquired. It is characterized by unpredictable episodic swellings, which may affect any part of the body, but are potentially fatal if they involve the larynx and cause significant morbidity if they involve the viscera. The last few years have seen a revolution in the treatment options that are available for C1 inhibitor deficiency. However, this occurs at a time when there are increased spending restraints in the NHS and the commissioning structure is being overhauled. Integrated care pathways (ICP) are a tool for disseminating best practice, for facilitating clinical audit, enabling multi-disciplinary working and for reducing health-care costs. Here we present an ICP for managing C1 inhibitor deficiency.
Intra‐operative cardiac arrests during liver transplantation – a retrospective review of the first 15 yr in Asian population
Authors: Lee Sang Hyun , Gwak Mi Sook , Choi Soo Joo , Shin Young Hee , Ko Justin Sangwook , Kim Gaab Soo , Lee Suk Young , Kim Myung Hee , Park Hui Gyeong , Lee Suk‐Koo , Jeon Hee Jung
Published: February 2013

Although many report intra‐operative cardiac arrests (ICAs) in liver transplantation (LT), the incidence, major causes, and outcome remain unclear. We aimed to investigate retrospectively, the incidence, nature, and outcome of ICA in Asian population and to identify risk factors for ICA. Consecutive 1071 LTs in an institution during 1996–2011 (adult 920, pediatric 151/living donor liver transplantation, LDLT 841, deceased donor liver transplantation, DDLT 230) were reviewed. ICA occurred in 14 adult LTs (1.5%), but none in pediatrics. ICA occurred 1.0% and 3.3% in LDLT and DDLT, respectively. Stages of ICA incidence were three at pre‐anhepatic, one at anhepatic, and 10 at neohepatic stage. Post‐reperfusion syndrome (PRS) with hyperkalemia and bleeding were the major causes of ICA. While LDLT showed miscellaneous causes for ICA at various stages, DDLT incurred ICAs at neohepatic stage only. Interestingly, we did not find pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) to incur ICA. Risk factor analysis showed no association of pre‐operative patient condition, donor types, and intra‐operative parameters. In this review, the incidence of ICA was low in Asian population with LDLT predominance, and while PTE was not the cause of ICA, the neohepatic stage with PRS and bleeding was the most vulnerable period to anticipate ICA.
Characterization for industrial purposes of the fibre anatomy of perennial ryegrass and tall fescue stem and leaf at three stages in the primary growth
Authors: King C. , McEniry J. , Richardson M. , O'Kiely P.
Published: February 2013

Characterization of grass fibre is important in assessing its potential for industrial fibre applications. Stem and leaf sections were sampled from triplicate field plots of two grass species, perennial ryegrass (PRG) and tall fescue at three dates (monthly from 12 May) in the primary growth, and were used to (a) isolate individual fibre cells and (b) prepare transverse sections. Microscopy and image analysis software were used to determine the length and width of individual fibre cells and the proportion of lignified fibre in stem and leaf transverse sections. The length and width of individual fibre cells were greater (P < 0·001) in stem than in leaf sections, while individual fibre cell length was greater (P < 0·01) for tall fescue than PRG. Harvest date and grass species had little effect (P > 0·05) on the proportion of lignified fibre in the transverse‐sectional area. However, there was a greater (P < 0·001) proportion of lignified fibre in the transverse‐sectional area of grass stems than leaves, with tall fescue having a greater (P < 0·05) stem and leaf transverse‐sectional area and area of lignified fibre in transverse section than PRG. Tall fescue harvested at a later stage of growth, with higher proportions of stem than leaf tissue, may be more suitable for industrial fibre applications.
Silage fermentation characteristics of three common grassland species in response to advancing stage of maturity and additive application
Authors: McEniry J. , King C. , O'Kiely P.
Published: February 2013

This study investigated the effects of advancing stage of maturity and additive treatment on the fermentation characteristics of three common grassland species. Perennial ryegrass (PRG; Lolium perenne L., var. Gandalf), timothy (Phleum pratense L., var. Erecta) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L., var. Merviot) were harvested at three dates in the primary growth (11 May, 8 June and 6 July; Harvests 1–3) and ensiled with the following additive treatments: (1) control (i.e. no treatment), (2) formic acid‐based additive, (3) homofermentative lactic acid bacterial (LAB) inoculant and (4) heterofermentative LAB inoculant. Additive application to the PRG (irrespective of harvest date), the late‐harvest timothy (Harvest 3) and the red clover (Harvests 2 and 3) herbages had little impact on silage fermentation characteristics, where a lactic acid dominant fermentation already prevailed. However, the application of the formic acid‐based additive to the Harvest 1 and 2 timothy and Harvest 1 red clover herbages, where the silage fermentation characteristics were poorer, resulted in an increase in the proportion of lactic acid in total fermentation products and a decrease in pH. In contrast, the heterofermentative LAB inoculant had a negative impact on silage fermentation characteristics where a poor preservation prevailed in the corresponding control silage.
Cirrhosis histology and Laennec staging system correlate with high portal pressure
Authors: Rastogi Archana , Maiwall Rakhi , Bihari Chhagan , Ahuja Arvind , Kumar Ashish , Singh Tarandeep , Wani Zeeshan Ahmad , Sarin Shiv Kumar
Published: February 2013

Aims

To correlate cirrhosis histology and Laennec fibrosis scoring with portal pressure, as determined by hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG).

Methods and results

One hundred and four patients with biopsy‐proven cirrhosis and known HVPG were included in the study. Semiquantitative scoring of 12 histological parameters and quantitative assessment by morphometry for septal thickness and nodule diameter and image analysis for fibrosis were performed. Laennec histological subgrading and clinical staging of cirrhosis were also performed. There were significant positive correlations between HVPG and Laennec histological grade of cirrhosis (P < 0.001), micronodularity (P < 0.001), the presence of thick fibrous septa (P = 0.015), the amount of collagen in the space of Disse (P < 0.001), and the extent of fibrosis by image analysis (P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis, to predict high HVPG (≥16 mmHg), showed that degree of collagen in the space of Disse [P = 0.007, odds ratio (OR) 19.3], histological grade of cirrhosis (P = 0.017, OR 3.9) and micronodularity (P = 0.02, OR 3.5) independently predicted high HVPG.

Conclusions

Histological subclassification of cirrhosis, collagen in the space of Disse and micronodularity are independent predictors of high portal pressure. The Laennec histological subclassification of cirrhosis correlates well with clinical severity of cirrhosis, and can provide useful prognostic information.
Intervention for ineffective airway clearance in asthmatic children: A controlled and randomized clinical trial
Authors: Lima Luisa Helena de Oliveira , Lopes Marcos Venícios de Oliveira , Falcão Rita Tomás de Souza , Freitas Rebeca Miranda Rocha , Oliveira Talita Ferreira , da Costa Maria da Conceição Cavalcante
Published: February 2013

This study aimed to analyse the effectiveness of an intervention for the nursing diagnosis of ineffective airway clearance in asthmatic children. A blinded, randomized and controlled clinical trial was developed in a paediatric hospital located on northeast of Brazil with 42 asthmatic children aged ≤ 36 months. The children were randomly divided into two groups (intervention and control) by means of a simple drawing. The applied intervention included actions related to change of positioning and stimulation of cough. The main findings of this study show that before the intervention, no significant difference was observed in the health status of the children. After the intervention, the indicators of choking (16.83 vs. 26.17, P = 0.007) and adventitious breath sounds (16.4 vs. 26.6, P = 0.005) were higher, on average, in the intervention group. It was observed an improvement in obstructive symptoms in children who received the intervention proposed.
Prevalence and correlates of problematic gambling among Danish adolescents
Authors: Kristiansen Søren Ginnerup , Jensen Sara Marie
Published: February 2013

This study reports the findings from a national survey on gambling behaviour among Danish primary school children. A questionnaire was administered to 2,223 primary school students ranging in age from 11 to 17 years. The questionnaire contained a gambling screen (SOGS‐RA) and items that measure gambling behaviour, social network and cognitive perceptions. The prevalence of problem gambling was 1.29 per cent, while 4.5 per cent were categorised as at‐risk gamblers. The three most frequently reported reasons for gambling were to win money, to have fun and to socialise with family and friends. It is suggested that gambling may be linked to a masculine universe and that at‐risk gambling behaviour patterns may be part of a normal adolescent life in which gambling serves recreational or leisure purposes. Implications for further research and preventive measures are discussed.
Preoperative pelvic floor physiotherapy improves continence after radical retropubic prostatectomy
Authors: Patel Manish I , Yao Jinna , Hirschhorn Andrew D , Mungovan Sean F
Published: February 2013

Objectives

Urinary incontinence is a predictable sequela of radical retropubic prostatectomy, and is most severe in the early postoperative phase. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of a physiotherapist‐guided pelvic floor muscle training program, commenced preoperatively, on the severity and duration of urinary continence after radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of men undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy by one high‐volume surgeon (n = 284) was carried out. The intervention group received physiotherapist‐guided pelvic floor muscle training from 4 weeks preoperatively (n = 152), whereas the control group was provided with verbal instruction on pelvic floor muscle exercise by the surgeon alone (n = 132). Postoperatively, all patients received physiotherapist‐guided pelvic floor muscle training. The primary outcome measure was 24‐h pad weight at 6 weeks and 3 months postoperatively. Secondary outcome measures were the percentage of patients experiencing severe urinary incontinence, and patient‐reported time to one and zero pad usage daily.

Results

At 6 weeks postoperatively, the 24‐h pad weight was significantly lower (9 g vs 17 g, P < 0.001) for the intervention group, which also showed less severe urinary incontinence (24‐h pad weight >50 g; 8/152 patients vs 33/132 patients, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between groups in the 24‐h pad weight at 3 months (P = 0.18). Patient‐reported time to one and zero pad usage was significantly less for the intervention group (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression showed that preoperative physiotherapist‐guided pelvic floor muscle training reduced time to continence (1 pad usage daily) by 28% (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

A physiotherapist‐guided pelvic floor muscle training program, commenced 4 weeks preoperatively, significantly reduces the duration and severity of early urinary incontinence after radical retropubic prostatectomy.
Renal pyelic fusion with crossed solitary ureter: Case report and review of literature
Authors: Enganti Bhavatej , Chitekela Nookinaidu , Nallabothula Anil Kumar , Lakshmi Vijaya , Dandu Rambabu , Samavedi Srinivas , Subramanian Srinivasan
Published: February 2013

Renal fusion anomalies are detected incidentally on imaging, with horseshoe kidney being the most common followed by crossed renal ectopia. We report a rare congenital anomaly of renal pyelic fusion with a solitary ureter. Both the renal units were in the normal position and location. This rare anomaly was associated with lumbar vertebral defects, neurogenic bladder, vesico‐ureteric reflux, upper tract dilatation and recurrent urinary tract infections.
Complex trait divergence contributes to environmental niche differentiation in ecological speciation of Boechera stricta
Authors: Lee Cheng‐Ruei , Mitchell‐Olds Thomas
Published: February 2013

Ecological factors may contribute to reproductive isolation if differential local adaptation causes immigrant or hybrid fitness reduction. Because local adaptation results from the interaction between natural selection and adaptive traits, it is crucial to investigate both to understand ecological speciation. Previously, we used niche modelling to identify local water availability as an environmental correlate of incipient ecological speciation between two subspecies in Boechera stricta, a close relative of Arabidopsis. Here, we performed several large‐scale glasshouse experiments to investigate the divergence of various physiological, phenological and morphological traits. Although we found no significant difference in physiological traits, the Western subspecies has significantly faster growth rate, larger leaf area, less succulent leaves, delayed reproductive time and longer flowering duration. These trait differences are concordant with previous results that habitats of the Western genotypes have more consistent water availability, while Eastern genotypes inhabit locations with more ephemeral water supplies. In addition, by comparing univariate and multivariate divergence of complex traits (QST) to the genomewide distribution of SNP FST, we conclude that the aspects of phenology and morphology (but not physiology) are under divergent selection. In addition, we also identified several highly diverged traits without obvious water‐related functions.
Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans in Childhood Treated with Slow Mohs Micrographic Surgery
Authors: Barysch Marjam J. , Weibel Lisa , Neuhaus Kathrin , Subotic Ulrike , Schärer Leo , Donghi Davide , Hafner Juerg , Braun Ralph , Läuchli Severin , Dummer Reinhard , Schiestl Clemens
Published: February 2013

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) in childhood is a rare tumor with high recurrence rates. Wide local excision can result in disfiguring mutilation, whereas Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) reduces surgical margins. MMS in children is not performed routinely, as the required infrastructures such as a histopathology lab in close proximity to the operating room is often lacking. We retrospectively reviewed children diagnosed with DFSP treated at our hospital over 2 years. We recorded surgical treatment details, including margins, duration of inpatient stay, outcome, follow‐up, and molecular genetic tumor tissue analysis. Four children with a median age of 6.8 years (range 6.0–8.8 years) were identified who had a diagnostic delay of a median of 2.5 years (range 0.5–4.0 years); all underwent complete tumor excision using the slow MMS technique using vacuum‐assisted closure systems between repeated excisions and before wound closure. The median maximal safety margins were 1.5 cm (range 1.0–3.0 cm). By using vacuum‐assisted closure systems, no dressing changes were needed, pain was limited, and full mobility was maintained in all children. The median total time in the hospital was 11 days (range 10–14 days). No relapses occurred during a median follow‐up of 25.8 months (range 11.3–32.6 months). Collagen 1A1/platelet‐derived growth factor B (COL1A1/PDGFB) translocation on chromosomes 17 and 22 was detected in all three analyzable specimens. Lesions suspected of being DFSP warrant prompt histologic evaluation; interdisciplinary management is mandatory in particular for children. Micrographic surgery allows smaller surgical margins than wide excision and should be considered as the treatment of choice in children with DFSP. The interim usage of vacuum‐assisted closure systems increases patient comfort. Translocations in the COL1A1/PDGFB gene imply susceptibility to targeted treatment modalities for therapy‐resistant cases.
Public Health Nursing Competency Instrument: Scale Reduction and Reliability of Factors
Authors: Reckinger Dawn , Cross Sharon , Block Derryl E. , Josten LaVohn , Savik Kay
Published: February 2013

Objectives

To reduce the number of items of the Public Health Nursing Competency Instrument (PHNCI) and to report the psychometric properties of the abbreviated instrument.

Design and Sample

The 193‐item PHNCI was administered via an online survey tool. A national sample of 2,269 public health nurses was recruited from 25 states.

Measures

All items of the PHNCI scale were positively stated and participants were asked to rate their skill level via a 4‐point Likert scale.

Results

A principal component exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation and examination of scree plot resulted in a final abbreviated scale which included 81 items and six factors: (1) Evaluation Competencies, (2) Individual/Family/Community Competencies, (3) Systems' Competencies, (4) Partnership/Collaboration Competencies, (5) Planning Competencies, and (6) Assessment Competencies. The six factors in the resulting PHNCI Abbreviated (PHNCIa) demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, ranging from 0.92 to 0.98.

Conclusion

The six factors of the PHNCIa integrate important concepts of both the nursing process and the intervention wheel. The instrument can be used by educators, administrators, managers, and staff members to assess strengths and challenge areas, guide discussions on performance and expectations, and enhance professional development efforts. Next steps for future research are presented.
Comparison of abdominal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging for detection of abdominal lymphadenopathy in dogs with metastatic apocrine gland adenocarcinoma of the anal sac
Authors: Anderson C. L. , MacKay C. S. , Roberts G. D. , Fidel J.
Published: February 2013

Imaging studies in humans with anal and rectal cancer indicate that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a more sensitive technique than abdominal ultrasound (AUS) for the detection of abdominal lymphadenopathy. The purpose of this retrospective study was to directly compare the efficacy of these two techniques in detecting abdominal lymphadenopathy in dogs with apocrine gland adenocarcinoma of the anal sac (AGAAS). Six dogs with histologically confirmed AGAAS and histopathologic confirmation of metastasis to abdominal lymph nodes (LNs) had AUS and abdominal MRI. AUS identified lymphadenopathy in two of six dogs, whereas MRI identified lymphadenopathy in all the six dogs. Lymphadenopathy was predominantly sacral in location, with involvement of the medial iliac and hypogastric LNs in only two cases. These data suggest that MRI is more sensitive than AUS for detecting sacral abdominal lymphadenopathy in dogs with AGAAS. As such, MRI could be considered in any patient with AGAAS for initial staging of this disease.
Investigation of the effect of probiotic exposure on filaggrin expression in an experimental model of canine atopic dermatitis
Authors: Marsella Rosanna , Santoro Domenico , Ahrens Kim , Thomas Amanda L.
Published: February 2013

Background

Atopic dermatitis (AD) results from complex interactions between an impaired skin barrier and immunological stimulation. Filaggrin is a key protein for the skin barrier, and its expression is decreased in subsets of atopic dogs and can be modified by inflammation; thus, immunomodulatory approaches may alter its expression. Probiotics have been explored for the prevention and treatment of allergies, owing to their immunomodulatory properties; however, it is currently unknown whether they can modulate filaggrin expression.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether probiotics can modulate filaggrin expression in an experimental model of canineAD.

Animals and methods

Eighteen atopic (11 probiotic exposed and seven control) and five normal beagles were challenged for three consecutive days withDermatophagoides farinae. Skin biopsies were taken before (day 0), at the peak (day 3) and after the end of the allergen challenge (day 10). Immunohistochemistry for filaggrin was done using a polyclonal antibody specific for canine filaggrin, and staining was scored both subjectively (for intensity, granularity and continuity) and objectively, by tracing the stratum granulosum and calculating the percentage of filaggrin per unit traced area.

Results

Analysis of variance of the percentage of filaggrin in the stratum granulosum showed a significant effect of group (P = 0.0414,AD < normal), time (P = 0.0066, days 3 and 10 > day 0) and marginal group × time interaction (P = 0.0606). Within the atopic group, exposure to probiotics did not change filaggrin expression. No significant differences were found in the subjective scores among groups.

Conclusions and clinical importance

It is concluded that probiotic exposure early in life does not alter filaggrin expression in thisADmodel.
Manufacturing Stress Corrosion-Cracking Tube Specimens for Eddy Current Technique Evaluation
Authors: Bum Bahn Chi , Bakhtiari Sasan , Park Jangyul , Majumdar Saurin
Published: February 2013

To detect degradation in steam generator (SG) tubes, periodic inspection using nondestructive examination techniques, such as an eddy current testing, is a common practice. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate and validate the reliability of the eddy current technique for ensuring the structural integrity of the SG tubes. The eddy current technique could be evaluated by comparing the data estimated by the eddy current with the destructive examination data of field cracks, which would be both costly and labor intensive. A viable alternative to pulled tube data is to manufacture crack specimens that closely represent actual field cracks in laboratory environments. A crack manufacturing method that can be conducted at room temperature and atmospheric pressure conditions is proposed. The method was applied to manufacture different types of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) specimens: axial outer-diameter (OD) SCC for straight tubes, circumferential ODSCC and primary water SCC (PWSCC) at hydraulic expansion transition regions, and axial PWSCC at the apex and tangential regions of U-bend tubes. To help the growth of SCC into the tube, corrosive chemicals (sodium tetrathionate) and tensile stress were applied. Eddy current and destructive examination data for SCC specimens were compared with the available field crack data to determine whether those SCC specimens are representative. It was determined that the proposed method could manufacture the representative crack specimens.
Mechanism-Based Covalent Neuraminidase Inhibitors with Broad-Spectrum Influenza Antiviral Activity
Authors: Kim Jin-Hyo , Resende Ricardo , Wennekes Tom , Chen Hong-Ming , Bance Nicole , Buchini Sabrina , Watts Andrew G. , Pilling Pat , Streltsov Victor A. , Petric Martin , Liggins Richard , Barrett Susan , McKimm-Breschkin Jennifer L. , Niikura Masahiro , Withers Stephen G.
Published: February 2013

Adding to the Antiviral Arsenal

The envelope of influenza virus contains two immunodominant glycoproteins: hemagglutinin and neuraminidase (NA). Existing antivirals like zanamivir (Relenza) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu) target NA; however, the development of drug resistance is a problem.

Kim
et al.

(p.
71
, published online 21 February) now report a different class of NA inhibitors. NA catalyzes the removal of sialic acids from the surface of host cells to initiate entry. Discovery of a NA–sialic acid intermediate led to the production of sialic acid analogs that bound covalently to NA and inhibited its enzymatic activity. These compounds showed activity against a wide variety of influenza strains, inhibited viral replication in cell culture, and were able to protect mice against influenza infection. Protection of mice was equivalent to protection seen from zanamivir. Moreover, the compounds showed activity against drug-resistant strains in vitro. These compounds represent a potentially useful addition to the arsenal of antivirals used to treat influenza infection.
Performance of emergency physicians in point-of-care echocardiography following limited training
Authors: Bustam Aida , Noor Azhar Muhaimin , Singh Veriah Ramesh , Arumugam Kulenthran , Loch Alexander
Published: February 2013

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate if emergency medicine trainees with a short duration of training in echocardiography could perform and interpret bedside-focused echocardiography reliably on emergency department patients.

Methods

Following a web-based learning module and 3 h of proctored practical training, emergency medicine trainees were evaluated in technical and interpretative skills in estimating left ventricular function, detection of pericardial effusion and inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter measurements using bedside-focused echocardiography on emergency department patients. An inter-rater agreement analysis was performed between the trainees and a board-certified cardiologist.

Results

100 focused echocardiography examinations were performed by nine emergency medicine trainees. Agreement between the trainees and the cardiologist was 93% (K=0.79, 95% CI 0.773 to 0.842) for visual estimation of left ventricular function, 92.9% (K=0.80, 95% CI 0.636 to 0.882) for quantitative left ventricular ejection fraction by M-mode measurements, 98% (K=0.74, 95% CI 0.396 to 1.000) for the detection of pericardial effusion, and 64.2% (K=0.45, 95% CI 0.383 to 0.467) for IVC diameter assessment. The Bland–Altman limits of agreement for left ventricular function was −9.5% to 13.7%, and a Pearson's correlation yielded a value of 0.82 (p<0.0001, 95% CI 0.734 to 0.881). The trainees detected pericardial effusion with a sensitivity of 60%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 97.9%.

Conclusions

Emergency medicine trainees were found to be able to perform and interpret focused echocardiography reliably after a short duration of training.
COLOR AND ISOSPIN WAVES FROM TETRAHEDRAL SHUBNIKOV GROUPS
Authors: LAMPE BODO
Published: February 2013

This paper supplements a recent work [B. Lampe, Int. J. Theor. Phys.51, 3073 (2012)] in which it was pointed out that the observed spectrum of quarks and leptons can arise as quasi-particle excitations in a discrete internal space. The latter paper concentrated on internal vibrational modes and it was only noted in the end that internal spin waves ("mignons") might do the same job. Here it will be shown how the mignon-mechanism works in detail. In particular the Shubnikov group A4 + S (S4 - A4) will be used to describe the spectrum and the mignetic ground state is explicitly given.
YAPA
Authors: Baudet Mathieu , Cortier Véronique , Delaune Stéphanie
Published: February 2013

Reasoning about the knowledge of an attacker is a necessary step in many formal analyses of security protocols. In the framework of the applied pi-calculus, as in similar languages based on equational logics, knowledge is typically expressed by two relations: deducibility and static equivalence. Several decision procedures have been proposed for these relations under a variety of equational theories. However, each theory has its particular algorithm, and none has been implemented so far.

We provide a generic procedure for deducibility and static equivalence that takes as input any convergent rewrite system. We show that our algorithm covers most of the existing decision procedures for convergent theories. We also provide an efficient implementation and compare it briefly with the tools ProVerif and KiSs.
Nondeterministic Phase Semantics and the Undecidability of Boolean BI
Authors: Larchey-Wendling Dominique , Galmiche Didier
Published: February 2013

We solve the open problem of the decidability of Boolean BI logic (BBI), which can be considered the core of separation and spatial logics. For this, we define a complete phase semantics suitable for BBI and characterize it as trivial phase semantics. We deduce an embedding between trivial phase semantics for intuitionistic linear logic (ILL) and Kripke semantics for BBI. We single out the elementary fragment of ILL, which is both undecidable and complete for trivial phase semantics. Thus, we obtain the undecidability of BBI.
Brownian Circuits
Authors: Peper Ferdinand , Lee Jia , Carmona Josep , Cortadella Jordi , Morita Kenichi
Published: February 2013

Random fluctuations will be a major factor interfering with the operation of nanometer scale electronic devices. This article presents circuit architectures that can exploit such fluctuations, if signals have a particle-like (discrete, token-based) character. We define an abstract circuit primitive that, though lacking functionality when used with fluctuation-free signals, becomes universal when fluctuations are allowed. Key to the power of a signal’s fluctuations is the ability to explore the state space of a circuit. This ability is used to resolve deadlock situations, which could otherwise only be averted by increased design complexity. The results in this article suggest that in the design of future computers, signal fluctuations, rather than being an impediment to be avoided at any cost, may be an important ingredient to achieve efficient operation.
A Synthesis Algorithm for Reconfigurable Single-Electron Transistor Arrays
Authors: Chen Yung-Chih , Eachempati Soumya , Wang Chun-Yao , Datta Suman , Xie Yuan , Narayanan Vijaykrishnan
Published: February 2013

Reducing power consumption has become one of the primary challenges in chip design, and therefore significant efforts are being devoted to find holistic solutions on power reduction from the device level up to the system level. Among a plethora of low power devices that are being explored, single-electron transistors (SETs) at room temperature are particularly attractive. Although prior work has proposed a binary decision diagram-based reconfigurable logic architecture using SETs, it lacks an automatic synthesis algorithm for the architecture. Consequently, in this work, we develop a product-term-based approach that synthesizes a logic circuit by mapping all its product terms into the SET architecture. The experimental results show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach on a set of MCNC benchmarks.
Variability in Nanoscale Fabrics
Authors: Narayanan Pritish , Leuchtenburg Michael , Kina Jorge , Joshi Prachi , Panchapakeshan Pavan , Chui Chi On , Moritz C. Andras
Published: February 2013

Emerging nanodevice-based architectures will be impacted by parameter variation in conjunction with high defect rates. Variations in key physical parameters are caused by manufacturing imprecision as well as fundamental atomic scale randomness. In this article, the impact of parameter variation on nanoscale computing fabrics is extensively studied through a novel integrated methodology across device, circuit and architectural levels. This integrated approach enables to study in detail the impact of physical parameter variation across all fabric layers. A final contribution of the article includes novel techniques to address this impact. The variability framework, while generic, is explored extensively on the Nanoscale Application Specific Integrated Circuits (NASICs) nanowire fabric. For variation of
σ
= 10 in key physical parameters, the on current is found to vary by up to 3.5X. Circuit-level delay shows up to 118% deviation from nominal. Monte Carlo simulations using an architectural simulator found 67% nanoprocessor chips to operate below nominal frequencies due to variation. New built-in variation mitigation and fault-tolerance schemes, leveraging redundancy, asymmetric delay paths and biased voting schemes, were developed and evaluated to mitigate these effects. They are shown to improve performance by up to 7.5X on a nanoscale processor design with variation, and improve performance in designs relying on redundancy for defect tolerance, without variation assumed. Techniques show up to 3.8X improvement in effective-yield performance products even at a high 12% defect rate. The suite of techniques provides a design space across key system-level metrics such as performance, yield and area.
Web-accessible geographic integration and calibration of webcams
Authors: Abrams Austin , Pless Robert
Published: February 2013

A global network of webcams offers unique viewpoints from tens of thousands of locations. Understanding the geographic context of this imagery is vital in using these cameras for quantitative environmental monitoring or surveillance applications. We derive robust geo-calibration constraints that allow users to geo-register static or pan-tilt-zoom cameras by specifying a few corresponding points, and describe our Web interface suitable for novices. We discuss design decisions that support our scalable, publicly accessible Web service that allows webcam textures to be displayed live on 3D geographic models. Finally, we demonstrate several multimedia applications for geo-calibrated cameras.
Multitasking without compromise
Authors: Czajkowski Grzegorz , Daynès Laurent
Published: February 2013

The Multitasking Virtual Machine (called from now on simply MVM) is a modification of the Java™ virtual machine. It enables safe, secure, and scalable multitasking. Safety is achieved by strict isolation of applications from one another. Resource control mechanisms augment security by preventing some denial-ofservice attacks. Improved scalability results from an aggressive application of the main design principle of MVM: share as much of the runtime as possible among applications and replicate everything else. The system can be described as a 'no compromise' approach -- all the known APIs and mechanisms of the Java programming language are available to applications. MVM is implemented as a series of carefully tuned modifications to the Java HotSpot™ virtual machine, including the dynamic compiler.

This paper presents the design of MVM, focusing on several novel and general techniques: an in-runtime design of lightweight isolation, an extension of a copying, generational garbage collector to provide best-effort management of a portion of the heap space, and a transparent and automated mechanism for safe execution of user-level native code. MVM demonstrates that multitasking in a safe language can be accomplished with a high degree of protection, without constraining the language, and with competitive performance characteristics.