bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Method for Measuring Catheter Lock Spillage: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Polaschegg Hans‐Dietrich
Published: May 2012

Catheters are widely used for blood purification, parenteral nutrition, and for the infusion of drugs. Previous work on catheter lock spillage has focused on the theory and in vitro demonstration of catheter lock spillage caused by the laminar flow profile and by fluid exchange caused by density differences. This work describes an in vitro test with a method that potentially allows measurement of catheter lock spillage in vivo without sampling. The method is based on the change of the electrical resistance of the catheter when the lock solution is injected. This method was tested in vitro with human blood at 36°C using 46.7% trisodium citrate as catheter lock solution. The catheter tip was placed in a beaker filled with whole blood. A stainless steel rod in the beaker served as one electrode and an Arrow‐Johans ECG adapter, which was placed on the distal end of the catheter, served as a second electrode. Conductivity was measured with a 5V (rms) 310 Hz sinus voltage and a 10 kOhm resistor in series to the catheter. The driving voltage and the voltage drop at the catheter was continuously measured with a program written under LabView (National Instruments), and the results were converted into mean trisodium citrate concentrations. Within 20 min, the mean trisodium citrate concentration in the catheter decreased to less than 5%. Unlike the previous methods used for catheter lock spillage measurement, this principle can be employed to measure the time course of catheter lock spillage in vivo.
The Value of Choice and the Choice to Value: Expanding the Discussion about Fetal Life within Prochoice Advocacy
Authors: Manninen Bertha Alvarez
Published: May 2012

In this essay, I provide evidence that a new generation of prochoice advocates wishes to move away from defending abortion rights via the view that fetal life has little or no value (for example, as Mary Anne Warren does in her “On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion”) and toward a more complex view of abortion rights. This newer view simultaneously grants that fetuses are more than simply “clumps of cells,” that they are, to some extent, entities that possess some degree of value, and also that women still have the right to decide whether they wish to continue a pregnancy (for example, as can be found in the writings of Rosalind Hursthouse, Judith Jarvis Thomson, and Margaret Olivia Little). Prima facie, this may sound like an impossible task—an instance of “having your cake and eating it too”—but I will show throughout my paper that, and how, such a task can indeed be accomplished.
Laboring and Hanging Out in the Embodied In‐Between
Authors: Hart Mechthild
Published: May 2012

In this essay I describe how my involvement in the political struggles of an immigrant domestic workers' collective inspired me to hang out not only with the workers, but also with the writings of María Lugones and Hannah Arendt. The essay invites the reader to engage in a playful rereading of Arendt's notion of the worldlessness of laboring in the private realm by putting her into dialogue with Lugones's notion of the hangout that defies the public–private split Arendt adamantly insists on in all her writings. By following the complex physical, mental, and emotional itineraries of immigrant domestic workers to, from, and in‐between a number of places and spaces, I demonstrate how their stories blur the line between public and private, and therefore also between the unfreedom of the body and the presumed escape into the political public. I describe the women's experiences as the living promise of a world that allows for an embodied fluid movement between labor, work, and the freedom “inherent in action” (Arendt 193, 153).
A Phenomenology of Excorporation, Bodily Alienation, and Resistance: Rethinking Sexed and Racialized Embodiment
Authors: Zeiler Kristin
Published: May 2012

The article examines how some culturally shared and corporeally enacted beliefs and norms about sexed and racialized embodiment can form embodied agency, and this with the aid of the concepts of incorporation and excorporation. It discusses how the phenomenological concept of excorporation can help us examine painful experiences of how one's lived body breaks in the encounter with others. The article also examines how a continuous excorporation can result in bodily alienation, and what embodied resistance can mean when one has undergone or undergoes excorporation. Elaborating on the work of, among others, Maurice Merleau‐Ponty, Martin Heidegger, Drew Leder, and Sarah Ahmed, I discuss incorporation and excorporation of beliefs and norms regarding sexual difference, such as beliefs and norms regarding female and male embodiment, through a reading of Jeffrey Eugenides' novel Middlesex. I also suggest that it is useful to understand the postcolonial scholar Frantz Fanon's narrative of how he could not but attend to his own skin color while living in France in the 1940s and 1950s, in terms of excorporation. Whereas these are different narratives in many ways, I regard them as helpful for clarifying what excorporation implies and what analytic work this concept can enable.
Periventricular nodular heterotopia functionally couples with the overlying hippocampus
Authors: Kitaura Hiroki , Oishi Makoto , Takei Nobuyuki , Fu Yong‐Juan , Hiraishi Tetsuya , Fukuda Masafumi , Takahashi Hitoshi , Shibuki Katsuei , Fujii Yukihiko , Kakita Akiyoshi
Published: May 2012

Patients with periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH) often have severe epilepsy. However, it is unclear how the heterotopia contributes to epileptogenesis. Recently, electrophysiologic studies using intraoperative depth electrodes have indicated that interaction between the heterotopia and overlying cortex is crucial for seizure onset. We performed an in vitro physiologic study using slices of resected brain from a 22‐year‐old man with PVNH, who manifested medically refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Preoperative evaluation indicated that the right mesial temporal structure and PVNH were the epileptogenic focus. The resected tissue was immediately immersed in cold artificial cerebrospinal fluid, and then slices of the brain tissue including the heterotopic nodules and overlying hippocampus were prepared. We electrically stimulated the incubated slices, and the elicited neural activities were analyzed as changes in the flavoprotein fluorescence signals. When we stimulated either the heterotopic nodule or the overlying hippocampus, clear functional coupling of neural activities between these structures was observed. The coupling response evoked by stimulation of the subiculum and developing within the heterotopic nodule was enhanced by application of bicuculline. Therefore, activities of the hippocampus and the nodule are closely correlated.
The Use of Clinical Decision‐Support Tools to Facilitate Geriatric Education
Authors: Litvin Cara B. , Davis Kimberly S. , Moran William P. , Iverson Patty J. , Zhao Yumin , Zapka Jane
Published: May 2012

Innovative methods are needed to incorporate effective geriatric education into internal medicine residency programs. The purpose of this report is to describe the development and use of clinical decision‐support (CDS) tools to facilitate geriatric education and improve the care delivered to older adults in an academic internal medicine residency ambulatory care clinic. Starting in 2009, CDS tools were implemented as a major strategy of an initiative to improve resident physician clinical competencies in geriatrics and improve the quality of care and quality of life of older adults. These tools, designed to improve resident assessment and action for each of three educational modules (falls, vision, and dementia) were embedded within the ambulatory electronic medical record (EMR) and provided a method of point‐of‐care training to residents caring for older adults. One hundred internal medicine residents supervised by 17 general internal medicine faculty members participated. Data regarding CDS use and associated outcomes were recorded and extracted from the ambulatory clinic EMR. Residents screened between 67% and 88% of eligible patients using CDS algorithms; rates of additional assessment and referral or further examination reflected the prevalence of the condition in the patient population. Although further development may be necessary, CDS tools are a promising modality to supplement geriatric postgraduate education while simultaneously improving patient care.
A Biomechanical Evaluation of a Hybrid Dynamic Compression Plate and a CastLess Arthrodesis Plate for Pancarpal Arthrodesis in Dogs
Authors: Meeson Richard L. , Goodship Allen E. , Arthurs Gareth I.
Published: May 2012

Objective

To determine mechanical differences between two plates with different requirements for supplementary casting after pancarpal arthrodesis (PCA): the Veterinary Instrumentation Hybrid Dynamic Compression Plate (HDCP), and the OrthoMed CastLess Arthrodesis Plate (CLP).

Study Design

In vitro mechanical analysis.

Sample Population

HDCP(n = 10), CLP(10).

Methods

Single‐cycle load to failure using a materials‐testing machine and cyclic loading between 38 and 380 N ± 5% to simulate estimated in vivo loads until failure or 106 cycles.

Results

Single‐cycle to failure: bending stiffness was significantly higher for the HDCP(2269 ± 175 N/mm) than CLP(1754 ± 88 N/mm; P < .001). Bending structural stiffness was higher for the HDCP(3.8 ± 0.3 Nm2) versus CLP(2.9 ± 0.2 Nm2; P= .0022). A difference between the 2 plates for bending strength was not demonstrated; HDCP= 13.9 ± 1.4 Nm, CLP13.2 ± 0.5 Nm (P= .24). Cyclic Loading: no failures occurred with either plate type when plates were cycled to 106 cycles.

Conclusion

There is no mechanical advantage in bending resistance afforded by the CLPover the HDCP. Fatigue failure of either plate during the convalescent period of an estimated 150,000–250,000 cycles is unlikely. Based on the bending performance, there is no evidence to support the use of the CLPover the HDCPfor castless PCA.
Values, Perceived Risks and Benefits, and Acceptability of Nuclear Energy
Authors: de Groot Judith I. M. , Steg Linda , Poortinga Wouter
Published: May 2012

We examined how personal values and perceptions of risks and benefits are associated with the acceptability of nuclear energy (NE). A theoretical model is tested in which beliefs about the risks and benefits of NE mediate the relationship between values and acceptability. The results showed that egoistic values are positively related to the perceived benefits and acceptability of NE. In contrast, altruistic and biospheric values were positively related to the perceived risks of NE. Although it has been argued that NE may help to combat climate change through lower CO2 emissions, these environmental benefits were not acknowledged by people with strong biospheric values. Furthermore, results confirmed that the more risks respondents perceived, the less they were inclined to accept NE. In contrast, the more a person believed that NE has beneficial consequences, the more acceptable NE was. Finally, as expected, perceived risks and benefits were found to partly mediate the relationship between personal values and acceptability. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.
Mortality Portfolio Risk Management
Authors: Cox Samuel H. , Lin Yijia , Tian Ruilin , Zuluaga Luis F.
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

We provide a new method, the “MV+CVaR approach,” for managing unexpected mortality changes underlying annuities and life insurance. The MV+CVaR approach optimizes the mean–variance trade‐off of an insurer's mortality portfolio, subject to constraints on downside risk. We apply the method of moments and the maximum entropy method to analyze the efficiency of MV+CVaR mortality portfolios relative to traditional Markowitz mean–variance portfolios. Our numerical examples illustrate the superiority of the MV+CVaR approach in mortality risk management and shed new light on natural hedging effects of annuities and life insurance.
Capital Market Development, Competition, Property Rights, and the Value of Insurer Product‐Line Diversification: A Cross‐Country Analysis
Authors: Berry‐Stölzle Thomas R. , Hoyt Robert E. , Wende Sabine
Published: May 2012

Abstract

In this article, we show that the effect of product diversification on performance is not homogeneous across countries. Diversified insurance companies perform significantly worse than their focused competitors in countries with well‐developed capital markets, high levels of property rights protection, and high levels of competition. In addition, we find that the diversification–performance relationship for insurance companies depends on company size. For large insurers operating in countries with less developed capital markets, diversification significantly increases performance. Our results suggest that the optimal organizational structure may be different for insurers operating in emerging economies than for insurers operating in developed countries.
A Divided Government, an Ideological Parliament, and an Insecure Leader: Turkey's Indecision about Joining the Iraq War*
Authors: Taydaş Zeynep , Özdamar Özgür
Published: May 2012

Objectives

On March 1, 2003, the Turkish parliament rejected a government motion that would involve Turkey in the Iraq war and allow U.S. forces to use Turkish territory in an offensive against Iraq. This decision has been considered as a significant departure from traditional Western‐oriented Turkish foreign policy. We investigate the reasons behind this rather unexpected foreign policy decision.

Method

To systematically examine the decision‐making process and the outcome, we utilize the “decision‐units framework.” We present primary and secondary evidence from government and media sources and utilize interviews conducted with some of the high‐level decisionmakers that were involved in decision making at the time. This article combines traditional methodological tools, such as elite interviews and process tracing, with novel approaches in foreign policy analysis studies.

Results

The nature of the decision‐unit, decision‐making rules, the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the AKP (Adalet and Kalkinma Partisi—Justice and Development Party) leadership, and the absence of a strong and decisive leader shaped the outcome.

Conclusion

The Turkish parliament's decision on its role in the Iraq war is an interesting and informative case for foreign policy studies. It challenges the conventional wisdom on parliamentary influence in foreign policy making in parliamentary regimes. Under certain circumstances—even when a single‐party enjoys parliamentary majority—parliaments can be major players in foreign policy decision making.
Hepatic Portal Venous Gas and “The Aquarium Sign” Due to Intussusception in Kawasaki Disease
Authors: Singh Upendra N. , Kapoor Aditya , Aggarwal Amita , Kumar Sudeep , Poddar Ujjal
Published: May 2012

The presence of hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) may be secondary to bowel necrosis, mechanical distension, or intraabdominal sepsis. We describe an unusual and hitherto unreported presence of HPVG manifesting as gas embolization and the unique “aquarium sign” in a patient of Kawasaki's disease. Continuous passage of bubble‐like echoes flowing from the hepatic portal venous system into the inferior vena cava and right‐sided chambers of heart was noted on echocardiography. The patient was treated with intravenous immune‐globulins and made an uneventful recovery.
Italian Chapter of the International Society of Cardiovascular Ultrasound Expert Consensus Document on Training Requirements for Noncardiologists Using Hand‐Carried Ultrasound Devices
Authors: Pelliccia Francesco , Palmiero Pasquale , Maiello Maria , Losi Maria‐Angela ,   on behalf of the Italian Chapter of the International Society of Cardiovascular Ultrasound
Published: May 2012

Hand‐carried ultrasound devices (HCDs), also named personal use echo, are pocket‐size, compact, and battery‐equipped echocardiographic systems. They have limited technical capabilities but offer some advantages compared with standard echocardiographic devices due to their simplicity of use, immediate availability at the patient's bedside, transportability, and relatively low cost. Current HCDs are considered as screening tools and are used to complement the physical examination by cardiologists. Many noncardiologic subspecialists, however, have adopted this technologic advancement rapidly raising the concern of an inappropriate use of HCD by health professionals who do not have any specific training. In keeping with the mission of the International Society of Cardiovascular Ultrasound to advance the science and art of cardiovascular ultrasound and encourage the knowledge of this subject, the purpose of this Expert Consensus document is to focus on the training for all health care professionals considering the use of HCD. Accordingly, this paper summarizes general aspects of HCD, such as technical characteristics and clinical indications, and then details the specific training requirements for noncardiologists (i.e., training program, minimum case load, duration, and certification of competence). (Echocardiography 2012;29:745‐750)
Not All Obstructive Cardiac Lesions Are Created Equal: Double‐Chamber Right Ventricle In Pregnancy
Authors: Murthy Sandhya , Lui George , Raiszadeh Farbod , Boxt Lawrence , Taub Cynthia
Published: May 2012

Double‐chambered right ventricle (DCRV) is a rare form of right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction accounting for approximately 1% of patients with congenital heart disease. It consists of an anomalous muscle bundle that divides the right ventricle usually between the sinus (inlet) and the infundibulum (outlet). This division creates a proximal chamber with high pressure and a distal chamber with low pressure. The hemodynamic obstruction of the RVOT is usually an acquired phenomenon, however the substrate for the anomalous muscle bundle is likely congenital. The diagnosis of DCRV should be considered in the young patient with an elevated right ventricular systolic pressure and intracavitary gradient. Echocardiography and cardiac MRI are the principal diagnostic tools for the assessment of DCRV. This entity is often misdiagnosed as pulmonary hypertension in the young patient, and can often go overlooked and untreated for many years. Definitive therapy involves surgical resection of the muscle bundle. This can often be curative and if done in a timely fashion, may prevent right ventricular remodeling. We describe the unique diagnostic dilemma, the course and management of a young adult with DCRV during pregnancy.
Diagnostic Performance of Handheld Echocardiography for the Assessment of Basic Cardiac Morphology and Function: A Validation Study in Routine Cardiac Patients
Authors: Prinz Christian , Dohrmann Jelena , Buuren Frank van , Bitter Thomas , Bogunovic Nikola , Horstkotte Dieter , Faber Lothar
Published: May 2012

Aims: To investigate the intra‐ and interrater variability of expert users in the interpretation of handheld echocardiographic studies (HAND). Methods: We scanned 320 consecutive patients with both HAND and high‐end (HIGH) scanners. Images were interpreted independently by two blinded level III echocardiographers. Readings from the HIGH scanner served as the gold standard. Segmental endocardial‐border delineation was scored to describe image quality. Assessment of left ventricular (LV) dimensions and regional/global LV function, and grading of valve disease were compared. Results: We obtained correlations of r > 0.8 (P < 0.01) for intrarater variability for both expert readers when they analyzed HAND and HIGH images in relation to image quality, wall‐motion abnormalities, and LV measurements. For intrarater variability of LVEF assessment, the correlations were at least moderate (r > 0.6, P < 0.01). Interrater variability for HIGH images was r = 0.9 (P < 0.01) for all parameters. Interrater variability for HAND images was less favorable for all parameters, but was at least moderate (r > 0.6, P < 0.01). All cases of pericardial effusion were detected. The agreement for the detection and grading of mitral and aortic regurgitation was at least moderate (κ > 0.6, P < 0.01). Detection of tricuspid regurgitation was less favorable, but only cases of mild regurgitation were missed. All cases of aortic stenosis were detected by both echocardiographers. Conclusions: In relation to the basic assessment of cardiac morphology and function, the interpretation by experienced echocardiographers of images obtained using handheld echocardiographic devices showed a moderate to very good correlation with standard echocardiography.
Real Time Three‐Dimensional Echocardiography and Endovascular Stenting
Authors: Abusaid Ghassan H. , Cheema Omar M. , Xie Tianrong , Mercado‐Young Rosario A. , Ahmad Masood
Published: May 2012

A 52‐year‐old male with HIV and chronic renal failure presented with 2‐day history of fever and chills. He had
recent superior vena cava (SVC) stent placement for SVC stenosis following multiple dialysis‐catheter insertions.
Patient's blood cultures grew methicillin‐resistant staphylococcus aureus. Two‐dimensional (2D) echocardiography
showed no vegetations. With high clinical suspicion, 2D transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) was obtained and
confi rmed no endocarditis and patent stent at SVC right atrial junction; however, entire stent was not visualized.
Simultaneous three‐dimensional TEE provided superior views of SVC stent in cross‐sectional and longitudinal
planes, clearly demonstrating patent stent without vegetations, stenosis, migration, or thrombosis.
Where the Air Feels Heavy: Boredom and the Textures of the Aftermath
Authors: Orrantia Juan
Published: May 2012

Set between an evocation and an ethnographic documentary, this essay explores aspects of aftermath of terror as an affective experience. Working through visuals and writing, I recall banal moments that disrupt the politics of forgetting by showing forms of remembrance through spaces, looks, or moments of simplicity. These moments signal leakages in official definitions of memory in otherwise classified spaces of nothingness, lethargy, and apathy. The article thus extends the evocative potential of photography and narrative writing as means to engage with multidimensional and hazy expressions of the experience of the aftermath of terror.
Hot Forging of Spherical Particles with Nanocrystalline Microstructures
Authors: Keshavan Hrishikesh , Petersson Anders , Roger Cannon W.
Published: May 2012

An alternate method for fabricating ceramics with fine‐ or nano‐ scale microstructures is presented. Powder consisting of 2–25 μm diameter spherical particles (average 16 μm) obtained by plasma melting of spray‐dried powder and quenching into water, were hot pressed and hot forged. Three different compositions were studied: eutectic alumina‐zirconia, the eutectic composition with 1%Y2O3, and the eutectic composition with borosilicate glass. As‐quenched particles (Al2O3–(1%Y2O3)ZrO2) contained both amorphous material and 50–80 nm crystallites. Microstructural development of the Al2O3–(1%Y2O3) ZrO2 was followed from room temperature up to hot pressing/hot forging temperatures. When fully dense after forging at 1350°C, the microstructure contained ZrO2 phases <100 nm in diameter embedded in the Al2O3 matrix. Al2O3 grains had an irregular morphology and were on the scale of ~1 μm diameter. A higher order structure designated as cells, containing a few of these grains, were enclosed by boundaries decorated with ZrO2 particles.
Handicap et écarts salariaux en Europe: discrimination ou moindre productivité?
Authors: MALO Miguel Á. , PAGÁN Ricardo
Published: May 2012

Les auteurs évaluent la discrimination salariale à l'encontre des personnes handicapées après avoir contrôlé les effets des écarts de productivité liés au handicap. Partant de données relatives à 11 pays européens, ils estiment les équations salariales des personnes suivantes: celles qui sont handicapées jusque dans leurs activités quotidiennes, celles qui sont handicapées sans que cela affecte ces activités et celles qui ne souffrent pas de handicap. Dans la plupart des pays, on ne relève pas d'écart salarial significatif entre les deuxième et troisième catégories. Lorsque cet écart existe, il tient surtout à une moindre productivité et non à une discrimination. Toutefois, par comparaison avec les personnes sans handicap, celles qui sont affectées jusque dans leurs activités quotidiennes subissent une moindre productivité et une discrimination salariale.
Le travail des enfants se substitue‐t‐il au travail des adultes? Travail des enfants et morbidité des adultes au Népal
Authors: Nepal Apsara , Nepal Mani
Published: May 2012

Partant d'une enquête auprès des ménages du Népal, les auteurs testent les hypothèses dites du luxe et de la substitution à propos du travail des enfants. Les deux semblent vérifiées: l'augmentation du revenu par tête d'un ménage réduit la durée du travail des enfants, et l'absence d'un adulte du travail pour cause de maladie augmente cette durée. Les filles font plus d'heures que les garçons. Les autres variables qui réduisent la durée du travail des enfants sont: les aides à la scolarisation, la scolarité privée, la présence de frères et sœurs au foyer, la durée de la scolarité des parents. Toutefois, l'augmentation de la consommation n'induit pas une réduction de la durée du travail des enfants.
Antibiotic resistance and molecular epidemiology of the beta‐lactamase‐producing Haemophilus influenzae isolated in Chongqing, China
Authors: Luo Chong , Xia Yongwu , Liu Qian , Chu Lijuan , Fu Xiaohong , Jing Chunmei , Chen Dapeng , Liu Lan , Shi Yu
Published: May 2012

This study aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance and molecular epidemiology of Haemophilus influenzae isolated from children with acute respiratory infection in Chongqing, China. To this end, 1967 H. influenzae isolates from 2006 to 2009 were analysed regarding β‐lactamase production and antibiotic resistance. Ninety‐nine β‐lactamase‐producing H. influenzae isolates from 2010 were analysed for antibiotic resistance and promoter regions of blaTEM‐1. β‐lactamase production was found in 35.8% (705/1967) of the strains. All ninety‐nine β‐lactamase‐producing strains from 2010 were of the TEM‐1 type as determined by PCR but did not produce the predicted 1075 bp product. According to PCR‐SSCP and DNA sequencing, the promoter regions of blaTEM‐1 were categorized into 6 genotypes as SSCP1 (Pdel), SSCP2 (Pa/Pb), SSCP3 (P4), SSCP4 (Prpt.b), SSCP5 (2Prpt) and SSCP6 (P3.b). The Pdel, Pa/Pb and Prpt.b were common promoters of blaTEM‐1 for H. influenzae isolated from children in Chongqing. Strains with Prpt.b were more resistant to ampicillin (AMP) than strains with Pdel, Pa/Pb and P4 (p < 0.05). Therefore, blaTEM‐1 β‐lactamase is the main mechanism for resistance of H. influenzae to ampicillin in Chongqing. Furthermore, the Prpt.b promoters may be related to the high resistance of H. influenzae to AMP.
Foraging mode variation in three stream‐dwelling salmonid fishes
Authors: Tunney Tyler D. , Steingrímsson Stefán Ó.
Published: May 2012

Despite long‐standing interest in foraging modes as an important element of animal space use, few studies document and compare individual foraging mode differences among species and ecological conditions in the wild. We observed and compared foraging modes of 61 wild Arctic charr,
Salvelinus alpinus, 42 brown trout,
Salmo trutta, and 50 Atlantic salmon,
Salmo salar, in their first growing season over a range of habitats in 10 Icelandic streams. We found that although stream salmonids typically sit‐and‐wait to ambush prey from short distances, Arctic charr were more mobile during prey search and prior to prey attack than Atlantic salmon, whereas brown trout were intermediate. In all three species, individuals that were mobile during search were more likely to be moving when initiating attacks on prey, although the strength and the slope of this relationship differed among species. Arctic charr also differed from salmon and trout as more mobile individuals travelled longer distances during prey pursuits. Finally, coupled with published data from the literature, salmonid foraging mobility (both during search and prior to attack) clearly decreased from still water habitats (e.g., brook charr), to slow‐running waters (e.g., Arctic charr) to fast‐running waters (e.g., Atlantic salmon). Hence, our study suggests that foraging mode of young salmonids can vary distinctly among related species and furthers our understanding of the behavioural mechanisms shaping the geographical distribution of wild salmonids.
Modelling geographic patterns of population density of the white‐tailed deer in central Mexico by implementing ecological niche theory
Authors: Yañez‐Arenas Carlos , Martínez‐Meyer Enrique , Mandujano Salvador , Rojas‐Soto Octavio
Published: May 2012

Conservation and management of species require basic knowledge on their geographic distribution and abundance. Here, we propose a novel approach, based on the theory of the ecological niche, to model the spatial patterns of the white‐tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus population density in two regions of central Mexico (Balsas Basin and Tehuacán‐Cuicatlán Valley). We used an ecological niche model to generate binary geographic distribution maps of the white‐tailed deer in each region based on occurrence data and a set of environmental variables. Then, the centroid of the distributions was calculated in ecological space (niche centroid) and the multidimensional Euclidian ecological distance of each pixel to the niche centroid was estimated. Finally, for each region the distance to the niche centroid (DNC) was regressed against 14 independent occurrence points in each site containing white‐tailed deer density information to determine the function describing the DNC‐density relationship, which was used to generate maps describing the distribution of white‐tailed deer density. Our results indicated an inverse DNC‐density relationship in both regions (Balsas Basin: r2 = 0.90 and Tehuacán‐Cuicatlán: r2 = 0.76) that was validated via bootstrapping resulting in a predicting capacity of near 62% for Balsas Basin and 65% for Tehuacán‐Cuicatlán Valley. Our results suggest that the distance to the niche centroid method is a robust, science‐based correlative approach that resulted useful to predict the population density of the white‐tailed deer in a spatially explicit fashion. The proposed approach is suitable for predicting the distribution of density for white‐tailed deer for which occurrence data with accompanying density information exists, but relative abundance can also be estimated when no abundance data are available.
Local suppression of IL‐21 in submandibular glands retards the development of Sjögren’s syndrome in non‐obese diabetic mice
Authors: Liu Hao , Liu Guoxin , Gong Lei , Zhang Yan , Jiang Guangshui
Published: May 2012

J Oral Pathol Med (2012) 41: 728–735

Background:  The aim of this study was to verify the validity of IL‐21 local suppression in submandibular glands of preventing the development of Sjögren’s syndrome in non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mice and figure out the mechanism.

Methods:  IL‐21 levels in submandibular glands were suppressed by ductal cannulation of IL‐21 shRNA lentivirus. Then, saliva flow rates (SFR) and histopathologic changes of submandibular glands were measured to assess the severity of disease development. Real‐time PCR, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the changes of T helper cells and related cytokines.

Results:  The reduction in SFRs in NOD mice was significantly alleviated from 9 to 17 weeks of age along with the suppression of IL‐21 in submandibular glands. Lymphocytic infiltration was also milder than control NOD mice. Moreover, the lower level of IL‐21 led to the down‐regulation of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells.

Conclusions:  Local suppression of IL‐21 in submandibular glands could retard the development of Sjögren’s syndrome in NOD mice. IL‐21 might contribute to the development of B‐cell disorder in Sjögren’s syndrome via Tfh cells pathway.
EGFR status and EGFR ligand expression influence the treatment response of head and neck cancer cell lines
Authors: Jedlinski Adam , Ansell Anna , Johansson Ann‐Charlotte , Roberg Karin
Published: May 2012

Background:  Combination treatment (chemoradiotherapy) is the standard treatment for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); however, treatment resistance and local recurrence are significant problems. A high level of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been associated with a more aggressive phenotype as well as decreased responsiveness to radio‐ or chemotherapy. We examined the role of EGFR status and EGFR ligand expression for the treatment response.

Methods:  Intrinsic sensitivity to radiotherapy, cisplatin, and cetuximab treatments was investigated in 25 HNSCC cell lines. EGFR gene copy number, mRNA and protein expression, EGFR and Akt phosphorylation status, and mRNA expression of the EGFR ligands were analyzed using quantitative PCR and ELISA and assessed for their impact on treatment sensitivity.

Results:  Different treatment modalities yielded great diversity in outcome; of note, cetuximab treatment stimulated growth in one cell line. When treatments were combined primarily additive effects were observed. While radioresistance tended to be associated with a high level of phosphorylated EGFR (pEGFR; P = 0.09), cetuximab‐resistant cells had low levels of pEGFR (P = 0.13). The three most cetuximab‐sensitive cell lines had high EGFR gene copy numbers. Furthermore, cetuximab treatment response was significantly correlated with epiregulin mRNA expression (r = −0.408, P = 0.043). Cisplatin‐resistant tumor cells expressed significantly lower levels of EGFR protein (P = 0.04) compared to cisplatin‐sensitive cells and tended to have lower levels of phosphorylated Akt (pAkt; P = 0.13) and lower expression levels of amphiregulin (P = 0.18).

Conclusions:  Epidermal growth factor receptor status and ligand expression influence the treatment sensitivity of HNSCC cells and may be useful as predictive markers.
Understanding Muslim patients: cross‐cultural dental hygiene care
Authors: Sirois ML , Darby M , Tolle S
Published: May 2012

To cite this article:   Int J Dent Hygiene DOI: 10.1111/j.1601‐5037.2012.00559.x  Sirois ML, Darby M, Tolle S. Understanding muslim patients: cross‐cultural dental hygiene care.

Background:  Healthcare providers who understand the basic pillars of Islamic beliefs and common religious practices can apply these concepts, anticipate the needs of the Muslim patient and family, and attract Muslim patients to the practice.

Objective:  Cross cultural knowledge can motivate dental hygienists to adopt culturally acceptable behaviors, strengthen patient‐provider relationships and optimize therapeutic outcomes. Trends in Muslim population growth, Islamic history and beliefs, modesty practices, healthcare beliefs, contraception, childbearing, childrearing, pilgrimage, dietary practices, dental care considerations and communication are explained.

Materials and methods:  This paper reviews traditional Muslim beliefs and practices regarding lifestyle, customs, healthcare and religion as derived from the literature and study abroad experiences.

Results and discussion:  Recommendations are offered on how to blend western healthcare with Islamic practices when making introductions, appointments, eye contact, and selecting a practitioner. The significance of fasting and how dental hygiene care can invalidate the fast are also discussed.

Conclusion:  The ultimate goal is for practitioners to be culturally competent in providing care to Muslim patients, while keeping in mind that beliefs and practices can vary widely within a culture.
Lifestyle and salivary cortisol at the age of 12 and 24 months
Authors: Swartz Jackie , Stenius Fredrik , Alm Johan , Theorell Töres , Lindblad Frank
Published: May 2012

Aim:  To analyse salivary cortisol levels in 12‐ and 24‐month‐olds from families with an anthroposophic lifestyle and comparisons (‘partly anthroposophic’ and ‘non‐anthroposophic’).

Methods:  Salivary samples were collected at child ages of 12 (n = 178) and 24 (n = 149) months. Cortisol was analysed with radioimmunoassay technique.

Results:  Evening cortisol levels in children from anthroposophic families were lower than in comparisons at 12 months of age (geometric means: anthroposophic 1.7, partly anthroposophic 1.9, non‐anthroposophic 3.6 nmol/L; p = 0.024) and at 24 months of age (1.1, 1.8 and 2.9 nmol/L, respectively; p = 0.002). At 24 months of age, similar differences were noted also for the afternoon levels (2.3, 3.3 and 3.9 nmol/L, respectively; p = 0.043). At age 12 months, the differences in the evening cortisol were statistically explained by a meat‐free diet and at age 24 months by the anthroposophic lifestyle as such. The circadian variations were parallel in the three groups at age 12 and 24 months. No cortisol differences were observed between parents representing different lifestyles.

Conclusions:  An anthroposophic lifestyle is associated with low cortisol levels in the evening at age 12 and 24 months, at age 24 months also in the afternoon.
Towards the understanding of Down syndrome using mouse models
Authors: Yamakawa Kazuhiro
Published: May 2012

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common cause of mental retardation. Several DS mouse models with partial trisomy 16 homologous to human chromosome 21 have been developed, and our research group has been studying those mouse models. We have shown a dosage‐dependent overexpression of genes in the trisomic region of the mouse. We have also described abnormalities including increased oxidative stress, increased lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, tau‐hyperphosphorylation and overactivation of its phosphatases, impaired developmental and adult neurogenesis, histological abnormalities in brains including ventricle enlargements and minor neurodegenerations in those mice. These observations may contribute to the identification of responsible genes and understanding of molecular pathology of Down syndrome.
Domestic trading costs and pure theory of international trade
Authors: Marjit Sugata , Mandal Biswajit
Published: May 2012

We use the HOS (Heckscher–Ohlin–Samuelson) model of international trade to find a link between trading (in particular domestic trading or retailing or domestic transport cost) costs, pattern of trade and volume of trade. Even if we use symmetric iceberg type trading costs, we generate relative price effects and prove that higher trading costs in labor‐abundant countries will restrict the volume of world trade and conversely for the capital‐abundant nation. Asymmetric trading cost between goods may have paradoxical output effects. A relatively capital‐abundant country will be worse off with increasing trading cost, whereas the labor‐abundant country may gain from further increases in trading cost.
The organization of production and trade
Authors: Lu Chia‐Hui , Peng Shin‐Kun , Wang Ping
Published: May 2012

We construct a unified framework to study under what conditions one of the three frequently observed organizational structures of international middle‐product production may arise in equilibrium: (i) separation of upstream and downstream firms with middle‐product trade, (ii) vertical integration of upstream and downstream firms, and (iii) global sourcing with upstream firms internalizing design and marketing tasks while only outsourcing the final good production to subcontractors. We examine how conventional comparative advantage (search, communication, trade and diversification costs) and the concern of the product‐defect risk arising from outsourcing jointly determine the organization of production and trade. We show that the potential availability of one organizational structure can change the trade‐off of the other two structures, thereby making simple pairwise comparison invalid.
The von Neumann–McKenzie facet and the Jones Duality theorem in two‐sector optimal growth
Authors: Yano Makoto
Published: May 2012

It has been known that in the neoclassical two‐sector growth model, a von Neumann–McKenzie facet coincides with a Rybczynski line and that the Rybczynski line through the steady state lies on the graph of an ergodically chaotic optimal dynamical system. This study reveals a close relationship between optimal dynamics and the Jones duality theorem, which uncovers the duality between the Rybczynski theorem and the Stolper–Samuelson theorem. More precisely, the characteristic roots of the Euler equation, characterizing optimal dynamics around the steady state, are equal to the Rybczynski term and the inverse of the Stolper–Samuelson term in the Jones theorem.
Use of Multiparametric MR with Neurovascular Bundle Evaluation to Optimize the Oncological and Functional Management of Patients Considered for Nerve-Sparing Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Panebianco Valeria , Salciccia Stefano , Cattarino Susanna , Minisola Francesco , Gentilucci Alessandro , Alfarone Andrea , Ricciuti Gian Piero , Marcantonio Andrea , Lisi Danilo , Gentile Vincenzo , Passariello Roberto , Sciarra Alessandro
Published: May 2012

Introduction

To obtain the best results with radical prostatectomy, either from an oncological or a functional point of view, a correct selection of cases and planning of surgery are crucial. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) promises to make it a successful imaging tool for improving many aspects of prostate cancer management.

Aim

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a modern multiparametric MRI can help either to better select prostate cancer cases for a nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy or to improve the functional evaluation related to neurovascular bundles preservation.

Main Outcome Measures

The effect of preoperative MRI on neurovascular bundle management was examined for the frequency and the appropriateness of changes of the surgical plane on the basis of MRI indications.

Methods

In a prospective study, 125 consecutive patients with biopsy proven prostate cancer who were scheduled to undergo bilateral nerve-sparing surgery. All patients included into the study were submitted to a preoperative multiparametric MRI. On the basis of MRI evaluation, patients were divided into two groups. Patients in group A were then submitted to a bilateral nerve-sparing (NS) radical prostatectomy (RP), whereas patients in group B were submitted to unilateral NS or non-NS RP.

Results

In group A, the confirmation from the MRI study to perform a bilateral NS procedure was appropriate in 70 of 73 cases (95.9%), whereas in group B, the surgical plan was appropriate in 28 of 32 cases (87.5%). On the contrary, MRI findings suggested a change in the initial surgical plan (group B) for 32 of 105 cases (30.5%). Of these 32 cases in group B, MRI suggested to perform a unilateral NS procedure in 21 of 32 cases (65.6%) and a non-NS procedure in 11 of 32 cases (34.4%).

Conclusions

Multiparametric MRI analysis can significantly improve the standard selection and management of prostate carcinoma cases considered for an NS RP.
Broken degeneracies: the rotation curve and velocity anisotropy of the Milky Way halo
Authors: Deason A. J. , Belokurov V. , Evans N. W. , An J.
Published: May 2012

We use distant blue horizontal branch stars with Galactocentric distances 16 < r < 48 kpc as kinematic tracers of the Milky Way dark halo. We model the tracer density as an oblate, power law embedded within a spherical power-law potential. Using a distribution function method, we estimate the overall power-law potential and the velocity anisotropy of the halo tracers. We measure the slope of the potential to be γ∼ 0.4, and the overall mass within 50 kpc is ∼4 × 1011 M⊙. The tracer velocity anisotropy is radially biased with β∼ 0.5, which is in good agreement with local solar neighbourhood studies. Our results provide an accurate outer circular velocity profile for the Milky Way and suggest a relatively high-concentration dark matter halo (cvir∼ 20).
Strength training reduces intracortical inhibition
Authors: Weier A. T. , Pearce A. J. , Kidgell D. J.
Published: May 2012

Aim

Paired‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to investigate the influence of 4 weeks of heavy load squat strength training on corticospinal excitability and short‐interval intracortical inhibition (rectus femoris muscle).

Methods

Participants (n = 12) were randomly allocated to a strength training or control group. The strength training group completed 4 weeks of heavy load squat strength training. Recruitment curves were constructed to determine values for the slope of the curve, V50 and peak height. Short‐interval intracortical inhibition was assessed using a subthreshold (0.7 × active motor threshold) conditioning stimulus, followed 3 ms later by a supra‐threshold (1.2 × active motor threshold) test stimulus. All motor evoked responses were taken during 10% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) torque and normalized to the maximal M‐wave.

Results

The strength training group attained 87% increases in 1RM squat strength (P < 0.01), significant increases in measures of corticospinal excitability (1.2 × Motor threshold: 116%, P = 0.016; peak height of recruitment curve = 105%, P < 0.001), and a 32% reduction in short‐interval intracortical inhibition (P < 0.01) following the 4‐week intervention compared with control. There were no changes in any dependent variable (P > 0.05) detected in the control group.

Conclusion

Repeated high force voluntary muscle activation in the form of short‐term strength training reduces short‐interval intracortical inhibition. This is consistent with studies involving skilled/complex tasks or novel movement patterns and acute studies investigating acute voluntary contractions.
Effect of self‐selected music on adults' anxiety and subjective experiences during initial radiotherapy treatment: A randomised controlled trial and qualitative research
Authors: O'Callaghan Clare , Sproston Michael , Wilkinson Kate , Willis David , Milner Alvin , Grocke Denise , Wheeler Greg
Published: May 2012

Introduction: Patients may experience radiotherapy as anxiety provoking, especially during unfamiliar initial treatment. This study examines whether patients' use of self‐selected music while undergoing first radiotherapy treatment reduces anxiety, and how patients describe their first radiotherapy experience with or without self‐selected music.

Methods: Using quantitative and qualitative methods, 100 participants preparing to commence radiotherapy were assigned to the initial radiotherapy session either with self‐selected music or without music. In both participant groups, the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory measured pre‐ and post‐radiotherapy levels, music preference questions examined future music desires during treatment and a semistructured questionnaire examined additional subjective experiences.

Results: Overall, participants were not highly anxious pre‐radiotherapy, anxiety decreased in both music and control groups following radiotherapy (P = 0.008) and this change was not different between groups (P = 0.35). However, music group participants were significantly more likely to want music in future radiotherapy sessions (P = 0.007). Some reported a benefit from the music in terms of feeling supported, distracted or that treatment time seemed faster. Participants in both groups often commended helpful staff. Negative reactions were only occasional.

Conclusions: Although preferred music does not reduce anxiety, it can support some patients undergoing initial radiotherapy and departmental staff should invite patients to bring music to radiotherapy, provide music libraries and offer to play patient selected music during treatments.