bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recruitment to intellectual disability research: a qualitative study
Authors: Nicholson L. , Colyer M. , Cooper S.‐A.
Published: June 2012

Background  Difficulties in the recruitment of adults with intellectual disability (ID) to research studies are well described but little studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the difficulties in recruiting to a specific research project, in order to inform future recruitment to ID research.

Methods  Individual semi‐structured interviews were held between September 2009 and May 2010 with people who had been involved as intermediaries in recruitment to the research project. These were transcribed verbatim and were independently analysed by two researchers using the Framework approach, who then agreed upon the key emerging themes.

Results  Ten interviews were analysed. A number of themes arose, including participant factors (interview anxiety, difficulties in understanding the concept of research, worry about negative feedback), the importance of the researcher (using a personal approach, meeting potential participants prior to recruitment) and motivators [enjoyment of the research interview (participant), obtaining a medical assessment (carer)]. The themes were then used to generate strategies to improve recruitment to ID research: these include the research team applying a more personal approach, developing the recruitment process to allow for multiple meetings with potential participants, and considering motivators for both participants and carers.

Conclusions  This study has used the experiences of intermediaries to identify strategies for improving recruitment to future ID research. This has implications in terms of both time and money. However, successful recruitment is essential to ID research, and we hope that the study will be used by ID researchers to review and improve their recruitment processes.
Craniofacial variations in the tricho‐dento‐osseous syndrome
Authors: Nguyen T , Phillips C , Frazier‐Bower S , Wright T
Published: June 2012

Tricho‐dento‐osseous (TDO) syndrome is an autosomal dominant trait characterized by curly kinky hair at birth, enamel hypoplasia, taurodontism, thickening of cortical bones and variable expression of craniofacial morphology. Genetic studies have identified a 4‐bp deletion in the DLX3 gene that is associated with TDO; however, phenotypic characterization and classification of TDO remains unclear in the literature. This study compares the craniofacial variations between 53 TDO‐affected subjects and 34 unaffected family members. Standardized cephalograms were obtained and digitized. Cephalometric measurements were analyzed using a general linear model with family as a random effect. Numerous craniofacial measurements from both groups showed marked variability. TDO‐affected subjects showed a Class III skeletal pattern (smaller SNA and ANB angles), longer mandibular corpus length (GoGn) and shorter ramus height (p < 0.05).
Field analysis of photoprotection in co‐occurring cool climateC3andC4grasses
Authors: Shay Philip‐Edouard , Kubien David S
Published: June 2012

C4photosynthesis is particularly successful at high light intensities and high temperatures, but is relatively rare when the average growing season temperature is less than about 15°C. We tested the hypothesis that rapidly reversible photoprotection enables someC4species to tolerate cool climates, by focusing on two questions: (1) Do chlorophyll fluorescence responses differ seasonally between co‐occurringC3andC4grasses in the field? (2) Does xanthophyll‐mediated photoprotection differ between the two pathways?Spartina pectinata(C4) andCalamogrostis canadensis(C3) were sampled in a herbaceous fresh‐water meadow in New Brunswick, Canada (45°N 66°W). Non‐photochemical thermal energy dissipation (ΦNPQ) and the epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle (EPS) were used as indicators of photoprotection. We observed no differential susceptibility to chronic photoinhibition (i.e. photodamage) between theC3andC4species, except potentially during spring emergence. On average,C. canadensisshowed higher levels of protective dynamic photoinhibition throughout the growing season, butS. pectinatahad greater ΦNPQand lowerEPSduring seasonal and daily temperature minima. The low Rubisco capacity ofC4species is a potential limiting factor toC4success at high latitudes, but our findings suggest that it is unlikely via a photoinhibitory feedback mechanism.
Management and risk factors for mortality in very elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Renilla Alfredo , Barreiro Manuel , Barriales Vicente , Torres Francisco , Alvarez Paloma , Lambert Jose L
Published: June 2012

Aim:  Elderly patients often remain underrepresented in clinical trials. The aim of our study was to analyze the treatment, clinical outcome and risk factors for mortality in patients aged ≥85 years with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods:  From 2005–2011, 102 patients aged ≥85 years with STEMI admitted to a coronary care unit were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data, treatment and outcome were recorded. Reperfusion strategy and its influence in hospital morbidity and mortality were evaluated. Morbidity was defined as the presence of heart failure (Killip–Kimball >1), arrhythmias, mechanical complications, stroke or major bleeding. Risk factors for mortality were assessed by multivariate analysis.

Results:  The mean age was 87.5 ± 2.5 years (range 85–96). Therapeutic strategy on admission was: primary‐angioplasty (PCI) for 33 patients (32.3%) fibrinolysis for 30 patients (29.4%) and conservative treatment for 35 patients (34.3%). In the four remaining patients, rescue angioplasty was required. A total of 29 patients (28.4%) died, and morbidity was seen in 63 patients (61.7%). The morbidity and mortality rates in the conservative treatment group (77.1% and 48.5%) were higher than that found in the reperfusion strategy group (primary‐PCI and fibrinolysis; 53.7% and 17.9%; P = 0.02 and P = 0.002, respectively). Regarding mortality, the univariate analysis showed that heart failure on admission (P = 0.0001) and previous coronary artery disease (P = 0.01) were prognostic variables. Only heart failure was an independent risk factor for mortality (odds ratio = 3.64, 95% CI 0.78–21.87, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions:  Mortality and morbidity in very elderly patients with STEMI are very high, especially in those not receiving reperfusion therapies. Heart failure on admission was an independent risk factor for hospital mortality. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 146–151.
Creating Picture Legends for Group Photos
Authors: Gao Junhong , Kim Seon Joo , Brown Michael S.
Published: June 2012

Group photos are one of the most common types of digital images found in personal image collections and on social networks. One typical post‐processing task for group photos is to produce a key or legend to identify the people in the photo. This is most often done using simple bounding boxes. A more professional approach is to create a picture legend that uses either a full or partial silhouette to identify the individuals. This paper introduces an efficient method for producing picture legends for group photos. Our approach combines face detection with human shape priors into an interactive selection framework to allow users to quickly segment the individuals in a group photo. Our results are better than those obtained by general selection tools and can be produced in a fraction of the time.
Interactive Editing of GigaSample Terrain Fields
Authors: Treib Marc , Reichl Florian , Auer Stefan , Westermann Rüdiger
Published: June 2012

Previous terrain rendering approaches have addressed the aspect of data compression and fast decoding for rendering, but applications where the terrain is repeatedly modified and needs to be buffered on disk have not been considered so far. Such applications require both decoding and encoding to be faster than disk transfer. We present a novel approach for editing gigasample terrain fields at interactive rates and high quality. To achieve high decoding and encoding throughput, we employ a compression scheme for height and pixel maps based on a sparse wavelet representation. On recent GPUs it can encode and decode up to 270 and 730 MPix/s of color data, respectively, at compression rates and quality superior to JPEG, and it achieves more than twice these rates for lossless height field compression. The construction and rendering of a height field triangulation is avoided by using GPU ray‐casting directly on the regular grid underlying the compression scheme. We show the efficiency of our method for interactive editing and continuous level‐of‐detail rendering of terrain fields comprised of several hundreds of gigasamples.
Procedural texture preview
Authors: Lasram Anass , Lefebvre Sylvain , Damez Cyrille
Published: June 2012

Procedural textures usually require spending time testing parameters to realize the diversity of appearances.

This paper introduces the idea of a procedural texture preview: A single static image summarizing in a limited pixel space the appearances produced by a given procedure.

Unlike grids of thumbnails our previews present a continuous image of appearances, analog to a map.

The main challenge is to ensure that most appearances are visible, are allocated a similar pixel area, and are ordered in a smooth manner throughout the preview.

To reach this goal, we introduce a new layout algorithm accounting simultaneously for these criteria.

After computing a layout of appearances, we rely on by‐example texture synthesis to produce the final preview.

We demonstrate our approach on a database of production‐level procedural textures.
3D Material Style Transfer
Authors: Nguyen Chuong H. , Ritschel Tobias , Myszkowski Karol , Eisemann Elmar , Seidel Hans‐Peter
Published: June 2012

This work proposes a technique to transfer the material style or mood from a guide source such as an image or video onto a target 3D scene. It formulates the problem as a combinatorial optimization of assigning discrete materials extracted from the guide source to discrete objects in the target 3D scene. The assignment is optimized to fulfill multiple goals: overall image mood based on several image statistics; spatial material organization and grouping as well as geometric similarity between objects that were assigned to similar materials. To be able to use common uncalibrated images and videos with unknown geometry and lighting as guides, a material estimation derives perceptually plausible reflectance, specularity, glossiness, and texture. Finally, results produced by our method are compared to manual material assignments in a perceptual study.
Soft Stacking
Authors: McCann J. , Pollard N. S.
Published: June 2012

In this paper, we present a continuous approach to ordering 2D images when compositing. Previous methods for stacking image layers require them to appear in a single (though possibly different) order at every point in the image. Our soft stacking approach removes this restriction — allowing layers to stack as if they were volumes of fog, appearing partially in front of and partially in back of other layers within the same pixel, and moving smoothly through other layers across the image. Our approach involves augmenting each pixel with stacking coefficients— a necessary and sufficient representation for sub‐pixel stacking complexity. These stacking coefficients arise naturally when considering sub‐pixel stacking complexity, much as continuous (alpha) transparency arises when considering sub‐pixel coverage complexity.

While the number of stacking coefficients required to represent all possible sub‐pixel stacking arrangements is factorial in the number of layers in the stack, in many practical situations only a small subset of the stacking coefficients are nonzero. We use this sparsity as the basis of a prototype that allows artists to interactively paint stacking adjustments into composites. Additionally, we demonstrate how to generate optimally‐stacked images under a generalized notion of stacking consistency.
Realistic following behaviors for crowd simulation
Authors: Lemercier S. , Jelic A. , Kulpa R. , Hua J. , Fehrenbach J. , Degond P. , Appert‐Rolland C. , Donikian S. , Pettré J.
Published: June 2012

While walking through a crowd, a pedestrian experiences a large number of interactions with his neighbors. The nature of these interactions is varied, and it has been observed that macroscopic phenomena emerge from the combination of these local interactions. Crowd models have hitherto considered collision avoidance as the unique type of interactions between individuals, few have considered walking in groups. By contrast, our paper focuses on interactions due to the following behaviors of pedestrians. Following is frequently observed when people walk in corridors or when they queue. Typical macroscopic stop‐and‐go waves emerge under such traffic conditions. Our contributions are, first, an experimental study on following behaviors, second, a numerical model for simulating such interactions, and third, its calibration, evaluation and applications. Through an experimental approach, we elaborate and calibrate a model from microscopic analysis of real kinematics data collected during experiments. We carefully evaluate our model both at the microscopic and the macroscopic levels. We also demonstrate our approach on applications where following interactions are prominent.
Manipulation of Flexible Objects by Geodesic Control
Authors: Wang He , Komura Taku
Published: June 2012

We propose an effective and intuitive method for controlling flexible models such as ropes and cloth. Automating manipulation of such flexible objects is not an easy task due to the high dimensionality of the objects and the low dimensionality of the control. In order to cope with this problem, we introduce a method called Geodesic Control, which greatly helps to manipulate flexible objects. The core idea is to decrease the degrees of freedom of the flexible object by moving it along the geodesic line of the object that it is interacting with. By repeatedly applying this control, users can easily synthesize animations of twisting and knotting a piece of rope or wrapping a cloth around an object. We show examples of “furoshiki wrapping”, in which an object is wrapped by a cloth by a series of maneuvers based on Geodesic Control. As our representation can abstract such maneuvers well, the procedure designed by a user can be re‐applied for different combinations of cloth and an object. The method is applicable not only for computer animation but also for 3D computer games and virtual reality systems.
Pixel Art with Refracted Light by Rearrangeable Sticks
Authors: Yue Yonghao , Iwasaki Kei , Chen Bing‐Yu , Dobashi Yoshinori , Nishita Tomoyuki
Published: June 2012

Pixel art is a kind of digital art that through per‐pixel manipulation enables production of a diverse array of artistic images. In this paper, we present a new way for people to experience and express pixel art. Our digital art consists of a set of sticks made of acrylate resin, each of which refracts light from a parallel light source, in certain directions. Artistic users are able to easily rearrange these sticks and view their digital art through the refracted light projection on any planar surface. As we demonstrate in this paper, a user can generate various artistic images using only a single set of sticks. We additionally envision that our pixel art with rearrangeable sticks would have great entertainment appeal, e.g., as an art puzzle.
Procedural Interpolation of Historical City Maps
Authors: Krecklau Lars , Manthei Christopher , Kobbelt Leif
Published: June 2012

We propose a novel approach for the temporal interpolation of city maps. The input to our algorithm is a sparse set of historical city maps plus optional additional knowledge about construction or destruction events. The output is a fast forward animation of the city map development where roads and buildings are constructed and destroyed over time in order to match the sparse historical facts and to look plausible where no precise facts are available. A smooth transition between any real‐world data could be interesting for educational purposes, because our system conveys an intuition of the city development. The insertion of data, like when and where a certain building or road existed, is efficiently performed by an intuitive graphical user interface. Our system collects all this information into a global dependency graph of events. By propagating time intervals through the dependency graph we can automatically derive the earliest and latest possible date for each event which are guaranteeing temporal as well as geographical consistency (e.g. buildings can only appear along roads that have been constructed before). During the simulation of the city development, events are scheduled according to a score function that rates the plausibility of the development (e.g. cities grow along major roads). Finally, the events are properly distributed over time to control the dynamics of the city development. Based on the city map animation we create a procedural city model in order to render a 3D animation of the city development over decades.
Quality of Fit Measures in the Framework of Quantile Regression
Authors: NOH HOHSUK , GHOUCH ANOUAR EL , KEILEGOM INGRID VAN
Published: June 2012

Abstract.  In regression experiments, to learn about the strength of the relationship between a covariate vector and a dependent variable, we propose a ‘coefficient of determination’ based on the quantiles. Such a coefficient is a ‘local’ measure in the sense that the strength is measured at a prespecified quantile level. Once estimated, it can be used, for example, to measure the relative importance of a subset of covariates in the quantile regression context. Related to this coefficient, we also propose a new ‘local’ lack‐of‐fit measure of a given parametric model. We provide some asymptotic results of the proposed measures and carry out a Monte Carlo simulation study to illustrate their use and performance in practice.
ON PROPERTIES OF ANALYTICALLY SOLVABLE FAMILIES OF LOCAL VOLATILITY DIFFUSION MODELS
Authors: Campolieti Giuseppe , Makarov Roman N.
Published: June 2012

We present some further developments in the construction and classification of new solvable one‐dimensional diffusion models having transition densities, and other quantities that are fundamental to derivatives pricing, representable in analytically closed form. Our approach is based on so‐called diffusion canonical transformations that produce a large class of multiparameter nonlinear local volatility diffusion models that are mapped onto various simpler diffusions. Using an asymptotic analysis, we arrive at a rigorous boundary classification as well as a characterization with respect to probability conservation and the martingale property of the newly constructed diffusions. Specifically, we analyze and classify in detail four main families of driftless regular diffusion models that arise from the underlying squared Bessel process (the Bessel family), Cox–Ingersoll–Ross process (the confluent hypergeometric family), the Ornstein‐Uhlenbeck diffusion (the OU family), and the Jacobi diffusion (the hypergeometric family). We show that the Bessel family is a superset of the constant elasticity of variance model without drift. The Bessel family, in turn, is nested by the confluent hypergeometric family. For these two families we find further subfamilies of conservative strict supermartingales and nonconservative martingales with an exit boundary. For the new classes of nonconservative regular diffusions we also derive analytically exact first exit time densities that are given in terms of generalized inverse Gaussians and extensions. As for the two other new models, we show that the OU family of processes are conservative strict martingales, whereas the Jacobi family are nonconservative nonmartingales. Considered as asset price diffusion models, we also show that these models demonstrate a wide range of local volatility shapes and option implied volatility surfaces that include various pronounced skew and smile patterns.
Intravenous injection of indocyanine green to enhance laser‐assisted coagulation of blood vessels in skin – an animal study
Authors: Bäumler W. , Paasch U. , Klein A. , Landthaler M. , Friedman R. , Shafirstein G.
Published: June 2012

Background  Laser therapy of vascular lesions, such as port wine stains (PWS) or leg veins are still imperfect due to different diameters and depth of vessels in tissue. We propose to improve blood vessel coagulation by intravenous introduction of an exogenous chromophore (indocyanine green, ICG) that effectively converts near‐infrared (NIR) laser light into heat.

Objective  The purpose of this study was to determine the plasma clearance rate, systemic toxicity and histological effects of ICG‐assisted laser therapy in an animal model.

Methods  Piglets received intravenous injection of ICG. Blood samples were collected at different times. Systemic toxicity was assessed by measuring liver enzyme levels and other indicators of liver function. The plasma clearance rate of ICG was determined by light absorption measurement in blood samples. The skin was irradiated with a diode laser (810 nm) using radiant exposures from 31 to 80 J/cm². Skin reaction at the treatment site was graded, and punch biopsies were taken for histological examination at 24 and 72 h after treatment.

Results  No hepatic toxicity was observed. The clinical examination revealed no adverse skin reactions at 24 or 72 h after laser irradiation. This was confirmed by histological evaluation that showed efficient vessel coagulation without damage of the epidermis or dermis.

Conclusions  In light of these in vivo results, we suggest that ICG‐assisted laser therapy could substantially improve clinical outcomes of PWS or leg veins treatment with minimal risk of adverse reactions.
The evolution of prenatal screening and diagnosis and its impact on an unselected population over an 18‐year period
Authors: Boyd PA , Rounding C , Chamberlain P , Wellesley D , Kurinczuk JJ
Published: June 2012

Please cite this paper as: Boyd P, Rounding C, Chamberlain P, Wellesley D, Kurinczuk J. The evolution of prenatal screening and diagnosis and its impact on an unselected population over an 18‐year period. BJOG 2012;119:1131–1140.

Objective  To review changes in and impact of prenatal screening and diagnosis

Design  Population‐based congenital anomaly register study.

Setting  Oxfordshire.

Population  Congenital anomalies confirmed and those suspected prenatally, delivered 1991–2008.

Methods  Analysis of proportions of congenital anomalies confirmed and those suspected prenatally.

Main outcome measures  Birth prevalence, prenatal detection rates, pregnancy outcomes.

Results  A total of 2651 (2.3%) infants/fetuses had a congenital anomaly diagnosed. There were 3839 suspected or confirmed cases, 2847 due to a prenatal suspicion, of which 1659 had an anomaly confirmed at delivery, and 1188 false‐positive diagnoses, 91% due to reporting ultrasound normal variants. The percentage of prenatal notifications rose from 48% in 1991–93 to 83–88% from 1996 to 2003 and dropped to 61% in 2006–08, partly reflecting changes in the reporting of normal variants. Reporting these increased the prenatal diagnosis rate from 53 to 63% with an increase in false‐positive rate from 0.09 to 1.04%. A total of 722 (44% of prenatally detected affected fetuses) resulted in termination; 48% of these had chromosome anomalies, 34% had isolated structural anomalies, 7% had multiple anomalies, 10% had familial disorders; 42% had lethal anomalies and 58% would probably have survived the neonatal period giving an estimated 20% reduction in birth prevalence of congenital anomalies compatible with survival because of terminations.

Conclusion  There has been an improvement in prenatal detection of congenital anomalies over the two decades studied. The recognition that reporting normal variants, although increasing prenatal detection rates, leads to an increase in false‐positive diagnoses has had an impact on practice that has redressed the balance between these two effects.
Evaluating the competing risks of HIV acquisition and maternal mortality in Africa: a decision analysis
Authors: Rodriguez MI , Reeves MF , Caughey AB
Published: June 2012

Please cite this paper as: Rodriguez M, Reeves M, Caughey A. Evaluating the competing risks of HIV acquisition and maternal mortality in Africa: a decision analysis. BJOG 2012;119:1067–1073.

Objective  To model the risk of HIV acquisition and maternal mortality for women in four African countries in the light of previous data on risk of HIV acquisition and hormonal contraceptive use.

Design  Decision analysis.

Setting  Chad, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

Population  Women of reproductive age, at risk of HIV, who do not desire pregnancy.

Methods  A decision analysis model was built to compare the consequences of removing progestin injectables from use, assuming an increased risk of HIV acquisition. Three scenarios were considered in four African countries: replacement of progestin injectables with no method, with combined oral contraceptives (COC) or with an intrauterine device (IUD). Health outcomes measured include: life‐years, maternal mortality, HIV acquisition and unsafe abortion. Sensitivity analysis, including Monte Carlo simulation, was performed around all variables.

Main outcome measures  HIV acquisition, maternal mortality and life‐years.

Results  If progestin injectables are removed from use, without a minimum of 70–100% of women switching to an IUD or COCs, up to nine additional maternal deaths will occur for every case of HIV averted. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that this finding persisted across a broad range of variables.

Conclusions  Contraception is critical to preserving life for women in Africa. In the absence of clear evidence regarding hormonal contraception and HIV acquisition, policy decisions must not overlook the very real risk of maternal mortality.
Factors influencing compliance to hygiene routines in community care ‐ the viewpoint of medically responsible nurses in Sweden
Authors: Lindh Marianne , Kihlgren Annica , Perseius Kent‐Inge
Published: June 2012

Scand J Caring Sci; 2013; 27; 224–230

Factors influencing compliance to hygiene routines in community care ‐ the viewpoint of medically responsible nurses in Sweden

Aims and objectives:  The aim of the study was to describe factors influencing compliance to hygiene routines in community care in Swedish municipalities from the perspective of medically responsible nurses (MRN).

Method:  A web‐based questionnaire was sent to all MRNs in Swedish municipalities, N = 268. Beside demographical background data, the questionnaire contained two core open‐ended questions generating free text data. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.

Result:  Four categories of factors were found: resources, management, staff and external factors. All four categories contained subcategories.

Conclusion:  To some extent, the challenges to uphold adequate compliance to hygiene routines seem different in community care than in hospitals. Resources regarding equipment and supplies seem as an uncertain asset and uneven distributed among municipalities. Home likeness was seen as a major obstacle for upholding adequate hygiene routines. To uphold sufficient hygiene routines in a person’s home or in a home‐like environment might be one of the major challenges for community health care in the future. The MRN’s narratives suggest that Registered Nurses have a key role in upholding sufficient hygiene in community care. This report might contribute in providing them with more knowledge to take on this urgent task.
RECOVER evidence and knowledge gap analysis on veterinary CPR. Part 3: Basic life support
Authors: Hopper Kate , Epstein Steven E. , Fletcher Daniel J. , Boller Manuel ,   the RECOVER Basic Life Support Domain Worksheet Authors
Published: June 2012

Objective

To systematically examine the evidence on basic life support (BLS) in veterinary CPR and to determine knowledge gaps.

Design

Standardized, systematic evaluation of the literature, categorization of relevant articles according to level of evidence and quality, and development of consensus on conclusions for application of the concepts to clinical practice. Relevant questions were answered on a worksheet template and reviewed by the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) BLS domain members, by the RECOVER committee and opened for comments by veterinary professionals for 30 days.

Setting

Academia, referral practice, and general practice.

Results

Sixteen worksheets were prepared to evaluate techniques for chest compression and ventilation strategies as well as identification of cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). Major recommendations arising from this evidence review include performing chest compressions at a rate of at least 100/min at a compression depth of one‐third to half the width of the chest with minimal pauses, and early instigation of ventilation at a rate of 8–10 breaths/min in intubated patients, or using a 30:2 compression/ventilation ratio in nonintubated patients.

Conclusions

Although veterinary clinical trials are lacking, much of the experimental literature on BLS utilized canine models. The major conclusions from this analysis of the literature are the importance of early identification of CPA, and immediate initiation of BLS in these patients. Many knowledge gaps exist, most importantly in our understanding of the optimal hand placement and technique for chest compressions, warranting coordinated future studies targeted at questions of relevance to differences between veterinary species and humans.
Bullying and Victimization: The Role of Conduct Problems and Psychopathic Traits
Authors: Fanti Kostas A. , Kimonis Eva R.
Published: June 2012

Bullying and victimization occurring in adolescence can have a long‐lasting negative impact into adulthood. This study investigates whether conduct problems (CP) and dimensions of psychopathy predict the developmental course of bullying and victimization from ages 12 to 14 among 1,416 Greek‐Cypriot adolescents. Results indicate that initial levels of bullying were highest among adolescents scoring high on narcissism, impulsivity, or CP—particularly for those also showing high callous‐unemotional (CU) traits. Bullying behaviors were also more stable among youth scoring high on narcissism. Further, youth high on impulsivity showed more stable victimization by peers across development. Importantly, adolescents high on CP+CU were at greater risk for engaging in bullying across development compared with those scoring lower on CU traits or CP.
Detection of dengue virus in sera of Brazilian blood donors
Authors: Dias Leny Lobo , Amarilla Alberto Anastacio , Poloni Telma Regina , Covas Dimas Tadeu , Aquino Victor Hugo , Figueiredo Luiz Tadeu Moraes
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND: Dengue is the most important arboviral disease in the world. Dengue viruses (DENVs) have produced huge outbreaks in Brazil in the past 25 years with more than 5 million reported cases. During these epidemics, asymptomatic individuals infected with DENV could donate blood and serve as a source of virus dissemination in the community. Here, we studied the circulation of DENV in healthy individuals during an epidemic outbreak.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The study included 500 serum samples from healthy blood donors collected at the Hemotherapy Center of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, during a dengue outbreak. The presence of DENV RNA in the serum samples was screened by real‐time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The virus serotype was determined by a heminested PCR procedure. A partial fragment of the NS5 gene sequence was used for phylogenetic analysis.

RESULTS: DENV RNA was detected in the serum sample of 2 of 500 (0.4%) individuals. Both of them were infected with DENV‐3 Genotype III, a virus that has been circulating in Brazil in the past decade.

CONCLUSION: Individuals with asymptomatic DENV infection can be blood donors and serve as a source of virus dissemination in the community. Further studies are needed to determine the risk of recipient infection by DENV as a result of transfusion in Brazil, especially during epidemic periods.
Skin integrity testing and monitoring of in vitro tape stripping by capacitance‐based sensor imaging
Authors: Klang Victoria , Schwarz Julia C. , Haberfeld Silvia , Xiao Perry , Wirth Michael , Valenta Claudia
Published: June 2012

Background

Despite the frequent use of porcine ear skin for tape‐stripping experiments, the peculiarities of this skin type have not been characterised in detail yet. Thus, different techniques were employed to investigate the skin surface structure of porcine ear skin and the changes in barrier function during in vitro tape stripping. To this end, the potential of capacitance‐based skin hydration imaging as a means of skin quality control was investigated for the first time.

Methods

The porcine ear model was characterised before and during tape stripping using transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurements, capacitance‐based sensor imaging, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR) and optical light microscopy.

Results

The capacitance‐based sensor was found to deliver precise information about the quality of the employed skin sites before and during tape stripping. The removal of stratum corneum proteins was highly reproducible even for different porcine ear types. The mean greyscale values showed an excellent linear correlation to the corresponding TEWL values and the respective penetration depth. Optical light microscopy confirmed the presence of canyons on the surface of porcine ear skin.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the capacitance‐based sensor is a suitable tool for skin integrity testing of porcine ear skin in vitro and for monitoring changes in skin barrier function.
Shedding‐Generated Met Receptor Fragments can be Routed to Either the Proteasomal or the Lysosomal Degradation Pathway
Authors: Ancot Frédéric , Leroy Catherine , Muharram Ghaffar , Lefebvre Jonathan , Vicogne Jérôme , Lemiere Arnaud , Kherrouche Zoulika , Foveau Bénédicte , Pourtier Albin , Melnyk Oleg , Giordano Silvia , Chotteau‐Lelievre Anne , Tulasne David
Published: June 2012

The receptor tyrosine kinase Met and its ligand, the hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor, are essential for embryonic development, whereas deregulation of Met signaling pathways is associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis. The presenilin‐regulated intramembrane proteolysis (PS‐RIP) is involved in ligand‐independent downregulation of Met. This proteolytic process involves shedding of the Met extracellular domain followed by γ‐secretase cleavage, generating labile intracellular fragments degraded by the proteasome. We demonstrate here that upon shedding both generated Met N‐ and C‐terminal fragments are degraded directly in the lysosome, with C‐terminal fragments escaping γ‐secretase cleavage. PS‐RIP and lysosomal degradation are complementary, because their simultaneous inhibition induces synergistic accumulation of fragments. Met N‐terminal fragments associate with the high‐affinity domain of HGF/SF, confirming its decoy activity which could be reduced through their routing to the lysosome at the expense of extracellular release. Finally, the DN30 monoclonal antibody inducing Met shedding promotes receptor degradation through induction of both PS‐RIP and the lysosomal pathway. Thus, we demonstrate that Met shedding initiates a novel lysosomal degradation which participates to ligand‐independent downregulation of the receptor.
The use of negative pressure therapy and hyaluronic acid for the management of post‐traumatic lower limb injury
Authors: Cigna Emanuele , Maruccia Michele , Sorvillo Valentina , Parisi Paola , Palumbo Francesca , Onesti Maria Giuseppina
Published: June 2012

Management of severe limb trauma continues to challenge surgeons. Suitable treatment should be individualised for each patient, taking into consideration not only the wound extremity but also the associated injuries, age and socioeconomic status of the patient with the goal to recover function and to improve patient quality of life. The aim of this report is to present a severe degloving multiplane lower limb injury case in which a conservative treatment of the wound was performed with negative pressure therapy and dermal substitute, avoiding amputation and restoring limb function.
Analysis of Influential Factors Associated With the Smoking Behavior of Aboriginal Schoolchildren in Remote Taiwanese Mountainous Areas
Authors: Huang Hsiao‐Ling , Hsu Chih‐Cheng , Peng Wu‐Der , Yen Yea‐Yin , Chen Ted , Hu Chih‐Yang , Shi Hon‐Yi , Lee Chien‐Hung , Chen Fu‐Li , Lin Pi‐Li
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND: A disparity in smoking behavior exists between the general and minority populations residing in Taiwan's mountainous areas. This study analyzed individual and environmental factors associated with children's smoking behavior in these areas of Taiwan.

METHODS: In this school‐based study, data on smoking behavior and related factors for mountain‐dwelling students were obtained from the 2008 and 2009 Control of School‐aged Children Smoking Study surveys. A representative sample (N = 1239) from 26 primary schools was included. The association among 3 groups (never‐, former‐, and current‐smokers) and the potential variables were simultaneously examined using unordered polytomous logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: Between 13% and 34% of ever‐smokers reported that their first smoking experience was in third grade. More than 70% were found to have bought cigarettes and 87% reported that the tobacco retailers had sold them cigarettes. The significant factors for current‐smokers were predisposing factors, ie, attitude toward smoking (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.21); reinforcing factors, ie, family smoked in front of me (AOR = 2.44), friends smoked in front of me (AOR = 16.24), and school staff smoked in front of me (AOR = 2.98); and enabling factors, ie, cigarette availability and accessibility (AOR = 2.16 and 2.42, respectively). A student's perceived punishment for smoking at school had a positive significant effect on the risk of being former‐smokers (AOR = 1.57).

CONCLUSION: The findings provide a basis for school and community to design and implement effective anti‐smoking programs for remote mountain‐based students to further reduce youth smoking.
Integrating Life Skills Into a Theory‐Based Drug‐Use Prevention Program: Effectiveness Among Junior High Students in Taiwan
Authors: Huang Chiu‐Mieh , Chien Li‐Yin , Cheng Chin‐Feng , Guo Jong‐Long
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND: Drug use has been noted among students in Taiwan during the past decade and schools have a role in preventing or delaying students' drug use. We developed and evaluated a school‐based, drug‐use prevention program integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and life skills for junior high school students.

METHODS: We recruited 441 seventh graders from randomly selected schools: N = 143 experimental groups, N = 142 conventional groups, and N = 156 control groups. The experimental group received ten 45‐minute sessions of theory‐based interventions. The conventional group got traditional didactic teaching and drug refusal skills. The control group received no intervention.

RESULTS: Compared to the control group, experimental group students showed greater improvement in attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, life skills, and intention not to use drugs. Compared to the conventional group, the experimental group had significantly higher posttest scores for 4 of the 5 outcomes, including life skills (96.53 vs. 90.92, p < .001), attitude (27.43 vs. 24.40, p = .012), subjective norm (29.51 vs. 28.06, p = .002), and perceived behavioral control (18.59 vs. 16.81, p < .001). The conventional group scored significantly higher in behavioral intention than did the control group.

CONCLUSION: Study results demonstrated the effectiveness of a drug‐use prevention program integrating the TPB and life skills.
Divergences dans l'évolution de l'assurance maladie au Japon et en République de Corée: régime à payeurs multiples ou régime à payeur unique
Authors: Jeong Hyoung‐Sun , Niki Ryu
Published: June 2012

Le Japon et la République de Corée ont mis en place une couverture maladie universelle respectivement en 1961 et 1989. Le Japon dispose toujours d'un régime d'assurance maladie à payeurs multiples, alors que la République de Corée est passée à un système intégréà payeur unique. Le présent article analyse le rôle de la politique économique dans les différences notées dans ces deux régimes de santé inspirés du modèle Bismarck. Il traite les questions des différences dans les domaines du pouvoir politique, de l'influence politique des parties prenantes, du degré d'autonomie des régions et de la manière dont sont préservées les caractéristiques régionales. Il aborde également le niveau de démocratisation, la forme du pouvoir politique et l'ampleur du développement du régime d'assurance maladie. Enfin, il tire un enseignement de l'expérience menée par ces deux pays.
Clinical and Translational Scientist Career Success: Metrics for Evaluation
Authors: Lee Linda S. , Pusek Susan N. , McCormack Wayne T. , Helitzer Deborah L. , Martina Camille A. , Dozier Ann M. , Ahluwalia Jasjit S. , Schwartz Lisa S. , McManus Linda M. , Reynolds Brian D. , Haynes Erin N. , Rubio Doris M.
Published: June 2012

Despite the increased emphasis on formal training in clinical and translational research and the growth in the number and scope of training programs over the past decade, the impact of training on research productivity and career success has yet to be fully evaluated at the institutional level. In this article, the Education Evaluation Working Group of the Clinical and Translational Science Award Consortium introduces selected metrics and methods associated with the assessment of key factors that affect research career success. The goals in providing this information are to encourage more consistent data collection across training sites, to foster more rigorous and systematic exploration of factors associated with career success, and to help address previously identified difficulties in program evaluation. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 400–407
Evaluation of extended release brimonidine intravitreal device in normotensive rabbit eyes
Authors: Deokule Sunil P. , Baffi Judit Z. , Guo Hong , Nazzaro Marty , Kaneko Hiroki
Published: June 2012

Purpose:  To evaluate the safety profile of a brimonidine extended release intravitreal implant, in normotensive rabbit eyes.

Methods:  Devices were made from hollow poly‐l‐lactic acid (PLA) tubes and contained hundred micrograms of brimonidine pamoate. Device was injected intravitreally in one eye of 12 New Zealand pigmented rabbits, whereas other eye was injected with a sham implant in masked fashion. Ocular examination was conducted at baseline and months 1, 3 and 6 including dilated fundus examination and electro‐retinogram (ERG). Four rabbits were sacrificed at each time‐point for retinal histology. ERG data were compared between groups and time‐points using anova.

Results:  No complications were reported from either eye of any rabbits over a 6‐month period. Photopic A wave was reduced in the control eye at 1 month compared with baseline (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in other ERG parameters between the groups at different time‐points. Gross retinal histology was normal at all time‐points.

Conclusion:  Extended release intravitreal brimonidine device was found to be safe and in normotensive rabbit eyes.
Extensive Raman spectroscopic investigation of ultrathin Co1−xNixSi2 films grown on Si(100)
Authors: Piao Yinghua , Zhu Zhiwei , Gao Xindong , Karabko Aliaksandra , Hu Cheng , Qiu Zhijun , Luo Jun , Zhang Zhi-Bin , Zhang Shi-Li , Wu Dongping
Published: June 2012

Ultrathin silicide films were formed by starting from 1–8 nm thick Co1−xNix (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1) at 350 °C–900 °C. For each composition x, there exists a critical thickness above which the transition temperature from monosilicides CoSi and NiSi to a disilicide-like phase increases with increasing film thickness. Below this thickness, the disilicide phase seems to form without exhibiting the monosilicides within the detection resolution limits of transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopic analysis seems to indicate that Ni could be dissolved in the CoSi lattice to a certain fraction despite the fact that CoSi and NiSi are distinct with different crystallographic structures. Moreover, the disorder-induced Raman scattering in NiSi2 is found to be enhanced by Co incorporation. The observed annealing behaviors are attributed to variations in free energy change for phase transition caused by differences in metal thickness.
Nuclear-Spin Quantum Memory Poised to Take the Lead
Authors: Boehme Christoph , McCamey Dane R.
Published: June 2012

Isolating a nuclear-spin quantum bit from unwanted interactions with other spins in a solid can extend device memory from seconds to minutes.
Is It Time for a Metagenomic Basis of Therapeutics?
Authors: Haiser Henry J. , Turnbaugh Peter J.
Published: June 2012

The trillions of microbes associated with the human body are a key part of a comprehensive view of pharmacology. A mechanistic understanding of how the gut microbiota directly and indirectly affects drug metabolism is beginning to emerge.
Weevil seed damage reduces germination and seedling growth of hybrid American chestnut
Authors: Dalgleish Harmony J. , Shukle John T. , Swihart Robert K.
Published: June 2012

Seed predation by weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) has been implicated as a limiting factor in oak recruitment throughout eastern US forests. We examined the effects of weevil seed predation on American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.). Although an introduced pathogen eradicated sexually reproducing populations of American chestnut in the early 1900s, the recent development of a blight-resistant hybrid makes reintroduction feasible. We nondestructively assessed the amount of weevil damage to seeds using X-ray imagery and traditional float test methods in American and blight-resistant hybrid chestnut. We quantified the effects of weevil damage on seed germination and seedling growth. The float test method misidentified damage for up to 50% of seeds, whereas the X-ray method misidentified only 3% of the sample. Germination declined with damage: the smallest damage level reduced germination from 94% to 32%. No seeds with >50% damage germinated. Weevil damage reduced seedling growth by 50% compared with undamaged seeds. Seedling size increased with seed size, but seed size had no effect on germination. Our results highlight the importance of orchard and seed processing practices that prevent weevil damage to chestnut seeds. Because they drastically reduce germination rates and seedling growth, weevils have the potential to limit seed regeneration and dampen rates of spread in populations following reintroduction.
MASSES OF CHARM AND BEAUTY BARYONS IN THE CONSTITUENT QUARK MODEL
Authors: GHALENOVI Z. , RAJABI A. A. , TAVAKOLINEZHAD A.
Published: June 2012

The masses of the ground state heavy baryons are studied using the hypercentral approach. The considered potential is a combination of Coulombic, linear confining and harmonic oscillator terms. An improved form of the hyperfine interaction and isospin dependent quark potential is introduced. By solving the Schrödinger equation for three particles system, we calculate the ground state masses of the baryons containing one, two and three heavy quarks. The obtained results are very close to the ones obtained in experiments or in the other works.