bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Taxonomic revision and systematics of continental Australian pygmy water boatmen (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Corixoidea: Micronectidae)
Authors: TINERELLA PAUL P.
Published: March 2013

The pygmy water boatmen (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Micronectidae) of continental Australiaare revised. The two genera and 17 species occurring in Australiaare fully described and keyed. The following species are transferred to Austronecta gen. nov.: Micronecta australiensis Chen, M. micra Kirklady, and M. carinata Chen. Austronecta bartzarum, sp. nov., is newly described. Within Micronecta Kirkaldy, thirteen species are recorded, including M. paragoga sp. nov. The following new synonymies are proposed: Micronecta illiesi Wróblewski, Micronecta concordia King and Micronecta dixonia King are junior synonyms of Micronecta annae Kirkaldy. A lectotype is designated for Micronecta tasmanica Wróblewski. Micronecta ludibunda Breddin is newly recorded for Australia, based on one male examined from Queensland. Within Australia, range extensions are recorded for the following species: Austronecta australiensis (New South Wales, Queensland); A. micra (Western Australia); Micronecta lansburyi Wróblewski (Western Australia); M. adelaidae Chen (Western Australia); M. major Chen (Queensland); M. halei Chen (South Australia); M. virgata Hale (Northern Territory); M. quadristrigata Breddin (Northern Territory); and M. queenslandica Chen (Northern Territory). All species are described and illustrated. Discussion and documentation of all primary type material is provided and where available, type specimens are illustrated. All male genitalic structures are illustrated with scanning electron micrographs. Line drawings are included for all other diagnostic characters, along with color habitus illustrations for both sexes of all species. Distribution maps are included for the following species: Austronecta micra, A. bartzarum, Micronecta paragoga, M. lansburyi, M. adelaidae, M. major, M. virgata, M. halei, M. quadrstrigata, and M. queenslandica. Diagnostic morphology and variation is discussed for all treated species. A phylogenetic analysis of Australasian micronectid generic relationships is presented. Discussion is provided on zoogeographic relationships of Australian Micronectidae.
Recent records of scythridids from the islands of Socotra and Maldives in the Indian Ocean, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea, Scythrididae)
Authors: NUPPONEN KARI , SALDAITIS AIDAS
Published: March 2013

Records of five species embracing 211 specimens of the family Scythrididae from the islands of Socotraand Maldivesin the Indian Oceanare presented. The material was collected during four trips in 2008–2010 on Socotra, and in December 2011 on the Maldives. Two new species are described: Scythris digitibasella Nupponen & Saldaitis sp. nov. from Socotra and S. atollicola Nupponen, Saldaitis & Fischer sp. nov. from the Maldives. Catascythris kebirella Amsel, 1935 and Scythris paralogella Bengtsson, 2002 are reported as new toSocotra. The known distributional range of each species is given.
Prominence in Triconstituent Compounds: Pitch Contours and Linguistic Theory
Authors: Kösling Kristina , Kunter Gero , Baayen Harald , Plag Ingo
Published: March 2013

According to the widely accepted Lexical Category Prominence Rule (LCPR), prominence assignment to triconstituent compounds depends on the branching direction. Left-branching compounds, that is, compounds with a left-hand complex constituent, are held to have highest prominence on the left-most constituent, whereas right-branching compounds have highest prominence on the second of the three constituents. The LCPR is, however, only poorly empirically supported. The present paper tests a new hypothesis concerning the prominence of triconstituent compounds and suggests a new methodology for the empirical investigation of compound prominence. According to this hypothesis, the prominence pattern of the embedded compound has a decisive influence on the prominence of the whole compound. Using a mixed-effects generalized additive model for the analysis of the pitch movements, it is shown that all triconstituent compounds have an accent on the first constituent irrespective of branching, and that the placement of a second, or even a third, accent is dependent on the prominence pattern of the embedded compound. The LCPR is wrong.
Risk Perception of Prescription Drugs
Authors: Beyer Andrea R. , Fasolo Barbara , Phillips Lawrence D. , de Graeff Pieter A. , Hillege Hans L.
Published: March 2013

Background. Experts are perceived to be veridical and to focus only on objective data when evaluating risk. Only a few research studies have attempted to characterize the subjectivity in risk evaluation among experts. Objective. The hypothesis of this study is that expert evaluation of a pharmaceutical drug can be partly explained by dimensions that describe the drug and by individual characteristics. Design. Seventy-five medical assessors in 9 EU countries evaluated a list of 28 pharmaceutical drugs using 4 scales: risk, benefit, seriousness of harm, and patients’ knowledge of the risk. They were also given a mock “clinical dossier” and asked to rate it on 8 dimensions: risk, benefit, worry, magnitude of the exposure, scientific knowledge of the risk, familiarity of the risk, ethical concerns, and risk acceptability. Results. Female assessors perceived significantly higher benefits than men for a large number of the 28 drugs. Principal component analysis of the ratings for the clinical dossiers revealed 2 underlying components: seriousness of harm and scientific evidence. A regression model predicting the risk perception of the drug showed that the variables seriousness of harm (benefit, worry, magnitude of exposure, ethical concerns, and risk acceptability), years of regulatory experience, gender, and type of drug explained 54% of the variability among assessors. Conclusion. Assessors’ view of the risks associated with pharmaceutical drugs is influenced by worry for patient safety, magnitude of patient exposure, and ethical concerns. These dimensions may influence their perceptions of benefit and risk acceptability. Senior assessors are more risk averse than junior assessors, and female assessors seem to be sensitive to the promise of benefit from medicines and consequently may be less risk averse than male assessors.
Plantar Medial Wounds Associated With Calcaneal Fractures
Authors: Firoozabadi Reza , Kramer Patricia Ann , Benirschke Stephen Kurt
Published: March 2013

Background:

Calcaneal fractures with open wounds are prone to soft tissue complications. We describe a particular subclass of open injury that occurs on the plantar surface of the foot, medial to the anterior process of the calcaneus, the plantar medial wound (PMW). The purpose of this study was to evaluate soft tissue healing and potential complications in open calcaneal fractures that have a PMW.

Methods:

We established the time to soft tissue healing and the status of the injured limb of 11 adults with 12 calcaneal fractures with a PMW. This was a retrospective review of prospectively gathered data at a Level I trauma center.

Results:

Five fractures developed an infection requiring intravenous antibiotics. Two patients required split thickness skin grafts and 1 patient required a free gracilis flap 10 months after injury to treat a chronic open PMW with resolving osteomyelitis and required a below-knee amputation secondary to flap failure. The most commonly associated bony injury with a PMW was a transcalcaneal-talonavicular fracture dislocation (8/13 injuries). Nonunion of the calcaneal fracture occurred in 3 patients.

Conclusion:

Patients with this type of injury—even those with Gustilo Type I open fractures—need to be apprised that their injury is associated with long-term sequelae, including complications with wound healing, high infection rates, and a higher potential for subsequent amputation than other open hind foot wounds. The Tscherne classification of open wounds should be used in the future.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Axial vibration source identification of engine crankshaft based on auto-regressive and moving average model and analytic hierarchy process method
Authors: Liang Xingyu , Wen Yonghui , Shu Gequn , Wang Yuesen , Wang Xu
Published: March 2013

This paper presents a method to identify the root cause of the axial vibration of crankshafts for high speed diesel engines based on an auto-regressive and moving average model and the analytic hierarchy process. Through determining initial moving average variables and measuring axial/bending/torsional vibrations of a crankshaft at the free-end of a four-cylinder diesel engine, auto-regressive spectrum analysis is applied to the measured vibration signal. In an investigation of the root cause of the vibration, the hierarchy tree and judgment matrix are given to identify the main vibration root causes. The results show that the axial vibration of the crankshaft is mainly coupled and excited by the bending vibration at high speeds. But at low speeds, the axial vibration in some frequencies is coupled and excited primarily by the torsional vibration. Through investigation of the root cause of the axial vibration of the engine crankshafts, calculation accuracy of the vibration can be improved significantly.
Implicit attitudes toward smoking: How the smell of cigarettes influences responses of college-age smokers and nonsmokers
Authors: Glock Sabine , Kovacs Carrie , Unz Dagmar
Published: March 2013

The habit of smoking may have automatic behavioral components guided by implicit attitudes. Smokers’ attitudes toward smoking should thus be less negative than nonsmokers’, so that a salient smoking cue (smell) is able to activate positive aspects of these attitudes. An affective priming task was used to explore this hypothesis. Unexpectedly, smokers and nonsmokers showed equally negative implicit attitudes, irrespective of smell. Smokers exposed to the cigarette smell did, however, display generally slower responses than nonsmokers, suggesting attentional bias. This could have implications for smoking policies in contexts where attentional factors affect performance.
The influence of patient gender on medical and psychology students’ illness attributions: Experiences with a narrative technique
Authors: Csörsz Ilona , Kakuk Péter , Mills Eszter M , Molnár Péter , Máth János , Csabai Márta
Published: March 2013

We attempted to identify whether and how the gender of the patient influences interpretations of an illness narrative. We investigated how medical and psychology undergraduates’ ( n = 313) views change according to the patient’s gender, students’ gender, and field of study. A short story about a female patient was chosen as stimulus material, and a gender-modified version with a male protagonist was created for comparison. Responses were content analyzed by qualitative and quantitative methods. The female patient elicited more detailed descriptions and somatizing attributions. The gender of students had a stronger impact on responses than their field of study.
Examining Antecedents of Caregivers’ Access to Early Childhood Developmental Screening: Implications for Campaigns Promoting Use of Services in Appalachian Ohio
Authors: Bates Benjamin R. , Graham Dawn , Striley Katie , Patterson Spencer , Arora Aarti , Hamel-Lambert Jane
Published: March 2013

Although developmental delays are common in the United States, only about one third of developmental delays are identified before a child enters school. As challenging as use of developmental screening is on a national basis, the Appalachian region faces extreme lack of screening, diagnosis, and treatment for developmental delay. Local health care providers attribute this lack to poor parent understanding and have called for communication interventions to educate caregivers. This investigation sought to understand the antecedents of Appalachian caregivers’ intentions to access developmental screening and services for their children as formative research for a communication-based intervention. The investigation was grounded by the health belief model. Surveys completed by 366 caregivers were used to model antecedents to behavioral intention. Perceived severity, perceived benefits, and self-efficacy were found to be the strongest predictors of intention to access developmental screening. Implications for a communication-based intervention are provided.
A phase II single-arm study of induction chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine followed by concurrent cisplatin and gemcitabine with thoracic radiation for unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Driesen Peter , Lambrechts Marc , Kraaij Kees , Soldatenkova Victoria , Chouaki Nadia , Colinet Benoit
Published: March 2013

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the combination of cisplatin–gemcitabine with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC).

Methods:

This was a phase II, multicenter, open-label, single-arm trial in treatment-naïve patients with stage IIIA and IIIB LA-NSCLC. After three induction cycles with gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 plus cisplatin 80 mg/m2, two concurrent chemoradiotherapy cycles with gemcitabine 300 mg/m2, cisplatin 80 mg/m2, and radiotherapy (63 Gy) were administered. The primary endpoint was response rate after induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Secondary endpoints included time to progressive disease (TtPD), overall survival (OS), and safety.

Results:

Overall, 49 patients (median age 63.4 years; 73.5% male; Karnofsky performance status scores of 80, 85, 90, and 100 [16.3%, 2.0%, 49.0%, and 32.7%, respectively]; disease stage IIIA or IIIB 28.6% and 71.4%, respectively) were enrolled and treated. Response rate was 38.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.2–53.8%). Median TtPD was 11.4 months (95% CI 9.4–12.9). Median OS was 21.8 months (95% CI 17.5–26.0), with 1- and 2-year survival rates of 70.8% and 43.7%, respectively. Overall, six patients discontinued from study treatment due to adverse events (AEs), of which two were serious AEs. The most relevant grade 3/4 AEs were neutropenia and thrombocytopenia in induction chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy, and grade 3 events related to radiation in acute chemoradiotherapy, e.g. dysphagia, radiation pneumonitis, and radiation esophagitis.

Conclusions:

Induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy with gemcitabine (300 mg/m2) and cisplatin was associated with acceptable toxicity. The observed median OS time was 21.8 months. Response evaluation was difficult as in many cases it was not possible to differentiate tumor progression from local radiofibrosis.
Research Updates on Type 2 Diabetes in Children
Authors: Linder Barbara , Imperatore Giuseppina
Published: March 2013

Major research trials have provided insight into the scope of type 2 diabetes in youth. The National Diabetes Education Program offers resources to help school nurses support children with or at risk for type 2 diabetes.
DNA damage activates a complex transcriptional response in murine lymphocytes that includes both physiological and cancer-predisposition programs
Authors: Innes Cynthia L , Hesse Jill E , Palii Stela S , Helmink Beth A , Holub Abigail J , Sleckman Barry P , Paules Richard S
Published: March 2013

Background

Double strand (ds) DNA breaks are a form of DNA damage that can be generated from both genotoxic exposures and physiologic processes, can disrupt cellular functions and can be lethal if not repaired properly. Physiologic dsDNA breaks are generated in a variety of normal cellular functions, including the RAG endonuclease-mediated rearrangement of antigen receptor genes during the normal development of lymphocytes. We previously showed that physiologic breaks initiate lymphocyte development-specific transcriptional programs. Here we compare transcriptional responses to physiological DNA breaks with responses to genotoxic DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation.

Results

We identified a central lymphocyte-specific transcriptional response common to both physiologic and genotoxic breaks, which includes many lymphocyte developmental processes. Genotoxic damage causes robust alterations to pathways associated with B cell activation and increased proliferation, suggesting that genotoxic damage initiates not only the normal B cell maturation processes but also mimics activated B cell response to antigenic agents. Notably, changes including elevated levels of expression of Kras and mmu-miR-155 and the repression of Socs1 were observed following genotoxic damage, reflecting induction of a cancer-prone phenotype.

Conclusions

Comparing these transcriptional responses provides a greater understanding of the mechanisms cells use in the differentiation between types of DNA damage and the potential consequences of different sources of damage. These results suggest genotoxic damage may induce a unique cancer-prone phenotype and processes mimicking activated B cell response to antigenic agents, as well as the normal B cell maturation processes.
Comparative genomics and functional study of lipid metabolic genes in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Zhang Yuru , Zou Xiaoju , Ding Yihong , Wang Haizhen , Wu Xiaoyun , Liang Bin
Published: March 2013

Background

Animal models are indispensable to understand the lipid metabolism and lipid metabolic diseases. Over the last decade, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become a popular animal model for exploring the regulation of lipid metabolism, obesity, and obese-related diseases. However, the genomic and functional conservation of lipid metabolism from C. elegans to humans remains unknown. In the present study, we systematically analyzed genes involved in lipid metabolism in the C. elegans genome using comparative genomics.

Results

We built a database containing 471 lipid genes from the C. elegans genome, and then assigned most of lipid genes into 16 different lipid metabolic pathways that were integrated into a network. Over 70% of C. elegans lipid genes have human orthologs, with 237 of 471 C. elegans lipid genes being conserved in humans, mice, rats, and Drosophila, of which 71 genes are specifically related to human metabolic diseases. Moreover, RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) was used to disrupt the expression of 356 of 471 lipid genes with available RNAi clones. We found that 21 genes strongly affect fat storage, development, reproduction, and other visible phenotypes, 6 of which have not previously been implicated in the regulation of fat metabolism and other phenotypes.

Conclusions

This study provides the first systematic genomic insight into lipid metabolism in C. elegans, supporting the use of C. elegans as an increasingly prominent model in the study of metabolic diseases.
Localized Histoplasma capsulatum osteomyelitis of the fibula in an immunocompetent teenage boy: a case report
Authors: Huang Lu , Wu Yongping , Miao Xudong
Published: March 2013

Background

Infection of local bone with Histoplasma capsulatum is rare and difficult to diagnosis, and occurs particularly in immunocompetent subjects, who are more likely to be affected by a wide range of organisms.

Case presentation

An 11-year-old boy presented with localized histoplasmosis osteomyelitis in the left fibula without any evidence of abnormal immunological function or systemic disease. After surgical clearance of the lesion and homologous cancellous bone, the patient was treated orally with voriconazole for 6 months. The patient completely recovered with full function of his left leg during the 5-year follow-up.

Conclusions

Histoplasmosis osteomyelitis can occasionally occur in immunocompetent individuals and can be complete cured by surgical clearance of the lesion and antibiotic treatment.
Interventions to reduce suicides at suicide hotspots: a systematic review
Authors: Cox Georgina R , Owens Christabel , Robinson Jo , Nicholas Angela , Lockley Anne , Williamson Michelle , Cheung Yee Tak Derek , Pirkis Jane
Published: March 2013

Background

‘Suicide hotspots’ include tall structures (for example, bridges and cliffs), railway tracks, and isolated locations (for example, rural car parks) which offer direct means for suicide or seclusion that prevents intervention.

Methods

We searched Medline for studies that could inform the following question: ‘What interventions are available to reduce suicides at hotspots, and are they effective?’

Results

There are four main approaches: (a) restricting access to means (through installation of physical barriers); (b) encouraging help-seeking (by placement of signs and telephones); (c) increasing the likelihood of intervention by a third party (through surveillance and staff training); and (d) encouraging responsible media reporting of suicide (through guidelines for journalists). There is relatively strong evidence that reducing access to means can avert suicides at hotspots without substitution effects. The evidence is weaker for the other approaches, although they show promise.

Conclusions

More well-designed intervention studies are needed to strengthen this evidence base.
Cancer survivor rehabilitation and recovery: Protocol for the Veterans Cancer Rehabilitation Study (Vet-CaRes)
Authors: Naik Aanand D , Martin Lindsey A , Karel Michele , Wachen Jennifer Schuster , Mulligan Elizabeth , Gosian Jeffrey S , Herman Levi Ian , Moye Jennifer
Published: March 2013

Background

Cancer survivors are a rapidly growing and aging population in the U.S., but there are many challenges associated with the survivorship experience such as functional disabilities and psychosocial distress. When viewed next to the general population, Veterans are especially at risk for these challenges as they are older and have a high incidence of co-morbid conditions. While the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has called for further cancer survivorship research to address these challenges, we still know little about this experience from the perspective of aging Veterans.

Methods/design

We conducted a longitudinal, mixed-methods study over the course of three and a half years at the Boston and Houston VA Medical Centers. We recruited 170 Veterans diagnosed with head and neck, colorectal and esophageal/gastric cancers that were identified from the VA tumor registry. Veterans completed three in-depth interviews, conducted at 6, 12 and 18 months after pathology confirmation, measuring the physical, social and psychological factors related to cancer survivorship. The longitudinal design allowed us to assess any changes in cancer related disability and distress over time.

Discussion

Weekly teleconference study team meetings were a key aspect to the research process. Issues related to recruitment, data management and analysis, and the dissemination of research results was discussed. Interviewers presented detailed case reports of completed interviews that allowed us to refine our interview protocols. We also discussed issues relevant to the Veteran population of which we were previously unaware and some of the challenges of the research process itself. This novel study produced a robust data set that documents the functional and psychosocial cancer survivorship experiences of aging Veterans. The longitudinal design will help us more fully understand the recovery patterns for this specific population, and identify the unique needs and gaps in health services.
The new modified Ishikawa iteration method for the approximate solution of different types of differential equations
Authors: Bildik Necdet , Bakır Yasemin , Mutlu Ali
Published: March 2013

In this article, the new Ishikawa iteration method is presented to find the approximate solution of an ordinary differential equation with an initial condition. Additionally, some numerical examples with initial conditions are given to show the properties of the iteration method. Furthermore, the results of absolute errors are compared with Euler, Runge-Kutta and Picard iteration methods. Finally, the present method, namely the new modified Ishikawa iteration method, is seen to be very effective and efficient in solving different type of the problem.

MSC:65K15, 65L07, 65L06, 65L70.
Preventing the acute skin side effects in patients treated with radiotherapy for breast cancer: the use of corneometry in order to evaluate the protective effect of moisturizing creams
Authors: Di Franco Rossella , Sammarco Elena , Calvanese Maria Grazia , De Natale Flora , Falivene Sara , DiLecce Ada , Giugliano Francesca Maria , Murino Paola , Manzo Roberto , Cappabianca Salvatore , Muto Paolo , Ravo Vincenzo
Published: March 2013

Background and purpose

The purpose of this study was to add, to the objective evaluation, an instrumental assessment of the skin damage induced by radiation therapy.

Materials and methods

A group of 100 patients affected by breast cancer was recruited in the study over one year. Patients were divided into five groups of 20 patients. For each group it was prescribed a different topical treatment. The following products were used: Betaglucan, sodium hyaluronate (Neoviderm®), Vitis vinifera A. s-I-M.t-O.dij (Ixoderm®), Alga Atlantica plus Ethylbisiminomethylguaicolo and Manganese Cloruro (Radioskin1®) and Metal Esculetina plus Ginko Biloba and Aloe vera (Radioskin 2®); Natural triglycerides-fitosterols (Xderit®); Selectiose plus thermal water of Avene (Trixera+®). All hydrating creams were applied twice a day starting 15 days before and one month after treatment with radiations. Before and during treatment patients underwent weekly skin assessments and corneometry to evaluate the symptoms related to skin toxicity and state of hydration. Evaluation of acute cutaneous toxicity was defined according to the RTOG scale.

Results

All patients completed radiotherapy; 72% of patients presented a G1 cutaneous toxicity, 18% developed a G2 cutaneous toxicity, 10% developed a G3 toxicity, no one presented G4 toxicity. The corneometry study confirmed the protective role of effective creams used in radiation therapy of breast cancer and showed its usefulness to identify radiation-induced dermatitis in a very early stage.

Conclusions

The preventive use of topic products reduces the incidence of skin side effects in patients treated with radiotherapy for breast cancer. An instrumental evaluation of skin hydration can help the radiation oncologist to use strategies that prevent the onset of toxicity of high degree. All moisturizing creams used in this study were equally valid in the treatment of skin damage induced by radiotherapy.
Influence of maturation on anthropometry and body composition in Japanese junior high school students
Authors: Fukunaga Yuko , Takai Yohei , Yoshimoto Takaya , Fujita Eiji , Yamamoto Masayoshi , Kanehisa Hiroaki
Published: March 2013

Background

The purpose of this study was to examine maturity-related differences in anthropometry and body composition in Japanese youth within a single year.

Methods

Two hundred and ten Japanese youth aged from 13 to 13.99 years participated in this study. Their maturity status was assessed using a self-assessment of stage of pubic hair development. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to estimate percent body fat and lean body mass (LBM). Muscle thickness of the anterior thigh, posterior lower leg and rectus abdominis muscles were measured by ultrasound.

Results

For boys, height, body weight, and LBM in less mature groups were lower than that in more mature groups. The maturity-related differences were still significant after adjusting for chronological age. On the other hand, muscle thickness values in the lower extremity and abdomen differed among the groups at different stages of pubic hair development, whereas there was no maturity-related difference in the relative values corrected by LBM, except for those thickness values measured at the abdomen. For girls, only the muscle thickness at the anterior thigh and muscle thickness relative to LBM1/3at the posterior lower leg was significantly affected by maturity status, but significant maturity-related difference was not found after adjusting for chronological age.

Conclusions

At least for Japanese boys and girls aged 13 years, maturity status affected body size in boys, but not in girls, and the influence of maturation on the muscularity of the lower extremity and trunk muscles is less in both sexes.
Utility of two novel multiplexing assays for the detection of gastrointestinal pathogens – a first experience
Authors: Kahlau Pascal , Malecki Monika , Schildgen Verena , Schulz Christine , Winterfeld Ingo , Messler Sabine , Mattner Frauke , Schildgen Oliver
Published: March 2013

Background

Cause for gastroenteritis range from viral, bacterial to parasitic pathogens. Rapid Multiplexing techniques like ProGastro_SSCS and xTAG_GPP can detect broad panels of pathogens simultaneously.

We performed a field test with a total number of 347 stool samples from adult hospitalized patients that were tested with the Luminex xTAG GPP assay; of the 157 samples positively tested for at least one pathogen by xTAG GPP a total number of 30 samples was retested with the ProGastro SSCS assay. Assays were compared to standard routine diagnostics.

Findings

Multiplexing significantly reduced the time to the initial identification of a pathogen. Moreover, multiplexing detected pathogens for which a diagnostic assays was not requested by the physician and thus may be an important tool for avoiding nosocomial outbreaks.

Conclusion

This first frontline approach with these assays approves their utility compared to conventional microbiological methods.
Measuring the Improving Quality of Outpatient Care in Medical Oncology Practices in the United States
Authors: Neuss Michael N. , Malin Jennifer L. , Chan Stephanie , Kadlubek Pamela J. , Adams John L. , Jacobson Joseph O. , Blayney Douglas W. , Simone Joseph V.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) has provided a method for measuring process-based practice quality since 2006. We sought to determine whether QOPI scores showed improvement in measured quality over time and, if change was demonstrated, which factors in either the measures or participants were associated with improvement.

Methods

The analysis included 156 practice groups from a larger group of 308 that submitted data from 2006 to 2010. One hundred fifty-two otherwise eligible practices were excluded, most commonly for insufficient data submission. A linear regression model that controlled for varied initial performance was used to estimate the effect of participation over time and evaluate participant and measure characteristics of improvement.

Results

Participants completed a mean of 5.06 (standard deviation, 1.94) rounds of data collection. Adjusted mean quality scores improved from 0.71 (95% CI, 0.42 to 0.91) to 0.85 (95% CI, 0.60 to 0.95). Overall odds ratio of improvement over time was 1.09 (P < .001). The greatest improvement was seen in measures that assessed newly introduced clinical information, in which the mean scores improved from 0.05 (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.17) to 0.69 (95% CI, 0.33 to 0.91; P < .001). Many measures showed no change over time.

Conclusion

Many US oncologists have participated in QOPI over the past 6 years. Participation over time was highly correlated with improvement in measured performance. Greater and faster improvement was seen in measures concerning newly introduced clinical information. Some measures showed no change despite opportunity for improvement.
Arabidopsis thaliana VOZ (Vascular plant One-Zinc finger) transcription factors are required for proper regulation of flowering time
Authors: Celesnik Helena , Ali Gul S. , Robison Faith M. , Reddy Anireddy S. N.
Published: March 2013

Transition to flowering in plants is tightly controlled by environmental cues, which regulate the photoperiod and vernalization pathways, and endogenous signals, which mediate the autonomous and gibberellin pathways. In this work, we investigated the role of two Zn2+-finger transcription factors, the paralogues AtVOZ1 and AtVOZ2, in Arabidopsis thaliana flowering. Single atvoz1-1 and atvoz2-1 mutants showed no significant phenotypes as compared to wild type. However, atvoz1-1 atvoz2-1 double mutant plants exhibited several phenotypes characteristic of flowering-time mutants. The double mutant displayed a severe delay in flowering, together with additional pleiotropic phenotypes. Late flowering correlated with elevated expression of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), which encodes a potent floral repressor, and decreased expression of its target, the floral promoter FD. Vernalization rescued delayed flowering of atvoz1-1 atvoz2-1 and reversed elevated FLC levels. Accumulation of FLC transcripts in atvoz1-1 atvoz2-1 correlated with increased expression of several FLC activators, including components of the PAF1 and SWR1 chromatin-modifying complexes. Additionally, AtVOZs were shown to bind the promoter of MOS3/SAR3 and directly regulate expression of this nuclear pore protein, which is known to participate in the regulation of flowering time, suggesting that AtVOZs exert at least some of their flowering regulation by influencing the nuclear pore function. Complementation of atvoz1-1 atvoz2-1 with AtVOZ2 reversed all double mutant phenotypes, confirming that the observed morphological and molecular changes arise from the absence of functional AtVOZ proteins, and validating the functional redundancy between AtVOZ1 and AtVOZ2.
High efficiency TALENs enable F0 functional analysis by targeted gene disruption in Xenopus laevis embryos
Authors: Suzuki Ken-ichi T. , Isoyama Yukiko , Kashiwagi Keiko , Sakuma Tetsushi , Ochiai Hiroshi , Sakamoto Naoaki , Furuno Nobuaki , Kashiwagi Akihiko , Yamamoto Takashi
Published: March 2013

Recently, gene editing with transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) has been used in the life sciences. TALENs can be easily customized to recognize a specific DNA sequence and efficiently introduce double-strand breaks at the targeted genomic locus. Subsequent non-homologous end-joining repair leads to targeted gene disruption by base insertion, deletion, or both. Here, to readily evaluate the efficacy of TALENs in Xenopus laevis embryos, we performed the targeted gene disruption of tyrosinase (tyr) and pax6 genes that are involved in pigmentation and eye formation, respectively. We constructed TALENs targeting tyr and pax6 and injected their mRNAs into fertilized eggs at the one-cell stage. Expectedly, introduction of tyr TALEN mRNA resulted in drastic loss of pigmentation with high efficiency. Similarly, for pax6, TALENs led to deformed eyes in the injected embryos. We confirmed mutations of the target alleles by restriction enzyme digestion and sequence analyses of genomic PCR products. Surprisingly, not only biallelic but also paralogous, gene disruption was observed. Our results demonstrate that targeted gene disruption by TALENs provides a method comparable to antisense morpholinos in analyzing gene function in Xenopus F0 embryos, but also applies beyond embryogenesis to any life stage.
Transmembrane protein OSTA-1 shapes sensory cilia morphology via regulation of intracellular membrane trafficking in C. elegans
Authors: Olivier-Mason Anique , Wojtyniak Martin , Bowie Rachel V. , Nechipurenko Inna V. , Blacque Oliver E. , Sengupta Piali
Published: March 2013

The structure and function of primary cilia are critically dependent on intracellular trafficking pathways that transport ciliary membrane and protein components. The mechanisms by which these trafficking pathways are regulated are not fully characterized. Here we identify the transmembrane protein OSTA-1 as a new regulator of the trafficking pathways that shape the morphology and protein composition of sensory cilia in C. elegans. osta-1 encodes an organic solute transporter alpha-like protein, mammalian homologs of which have been implicated in membrane trafficking and solute transport, although a role in regulating cilia structure has not previously been demonstrated. We show that mutations in osta-1 result in altered ciliary membrane volume, branch length and complexity, as well as defects in localization of a subset of ciliary transmembrane proteins in different sensory cilia types. OSTA-1 is associated with transport vesicles, localizes to a ciliary compartment shown to house trafficking proteins, and regulates both retrograde and anterograde flux of the endosome-associated RAB-5 small GTPase. Genetic epistasis experiments with sensory signaling, exocytic and endocytic proteins further implicate OSTA-1 as a crucial regulator of ciliary architecture via regulation of cilia-destined trafficking. Our findings suggest that regulation of transport pathways in a cell type-specific manner contributes to diversity in sensory cilia structure and might allow dynamic remodeling of ciliary architecture via multiple inputs.
Crossing paths: cytokinin signalling and crosstalk
Authors: El-Showk Sedeer , Ruonala Raili , Helariutta Ykä
Published: March 2013

Cytokinins are a major class of plant hormones that are involved in various aspects of plant development, ranging from organ formation and apical dominance to leaf senescence. Cytokinin and auxin have long been known to interact antagonistically, and more recent studies have shown that cytokinins also interact with other plant hormones to regulate plant development. A growing body of research has begun to elucidate the molecular and genetic underpinnings of this extensive crosstalk. The rich interconnections between the synthesis, perception and transport networks of these plant hormones provide a wide range of opportunities for them to modulate, amplify or buffer one another. Here, we review this exciting and rapidly growing area of cytokinin research.
Live imaging of multicolor-labeled cells in Drosophila
Authors: Boulina Maria , Samarajeewa Hasitha , Baker James D. , Kim Michael D. , Chiba Akira
Published: March 2013

We describe LOLLIbow, a Brainbow-based live imaging system with applications in developmental biology and neurobiology. The development of an animal, including the environmentally sensitive adaptation of its brain, is thought to proceed through continual orchestration among diverse cell types as they divide, migrate, transform and interact with one another within the body. To facilitate direct visualization of such dynamic morphogenesis by individual cells in vivo, we have modified the original Brainbow for Drosophila in which live imaging is practical during much of its development. Our system offers permanent fluorescent labels that reveal fine morphological details of individual cells without requiring dissection or fixation of the samples. It also features a non-invasive means to control the timing of stochastic tricolor cell labeling with a light pulse. We demonstrate applicability of the new system in a variety of settings that could benefit from direct imaging of the developing multicellular organism with single-cell resolution.
Desvendando o Book Building em ofertas de ações (Notas de ensino)
Authors: Romano Patrícia Ribeiro , Almeida Vinicio de Souza e
Published: March 2013

DOI: 10.12660/gvcasosv2n1n5http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv2n1n5
Stakeholders: fonte de informação para o planejamento de marketing (Notas de ensino)
Authors: Dalfovo Michael Samir , Pavão Yeda Maria Pereira , Alberton Anete , Rossetto Carlos Ricardo , Silva Debora Pereira
Published: March 2013

DOI: 10.12660/gvcasosv2n2n12http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv2n2n12
Chance Enlightenments, Choice Superstitions: Walpole’s Historic Doubts and Enlightenment Historicism
Authors: Coykendall Abby
Published: March 2013

This paper focuses on the counter-enlightenment historicism of Horace Walpole, arguing that skepticism about the religiosity of enlightenment skepticism itself is what leads Walpole to downplay incredulity about the empirical world and foreground instead the manner in which that world is ideologically repackaged in narrative. Walpole’s works routinely adopt the core tenet of the enlightenment—skepticism about the rites, relics, and received opinions once endowed with sacred meaning—while nonetheless applying that same skepticism to the tales of erudition and exploration with which the proponents of the enlightenment disseminate their claims to reason. In thus taking to task the myriad phantasms about the past, including the reputed pastness of that past (fantasies which usher in the deep, undaunted conviction in modernity, in print if not in reality), Walpole helps deflate and destabilize the miraculous “once upon a time” storyline of the enlightenment project itself.
Deutsche Heimat in Afrika: Colonial Revisionism and the Construction of Germanness through Photography
Authors: Sandler Willeke
Published: March 2013

In 1939, photographer Ilse Steinhoff published a photograph album of her 1937 trip to the former German colonies of Southwest and East Africa. Through a close study of this photograph album, this article elucidates larger themes in the visual culture of post-colonial and National Socialist Germany. The photographs in Deutsche Heimat in Afrika visualize the colonialist imaginary—peaceful but separate racial relations; the German qualities imposed by the settlers on the landscape and in the cities; an expansion of German women’s roles that still maintained the traditional realm of family and culture; and the fertility of the African landscape and the next generation of colonial Germans. Steinhoff showed metropolitan Germans the importance of the colonial space through a visual aesthetic that resonated with that of Nazi Germany, thereby combining the fantasy of the past with the ideals of the present to further colonial revisionism in the Third Reich.
“An Africa of Religious Life”: Fredrika Bremer’s American Faith Journey, 1849–1851
Authors: Twells Alison
Published: March 2013

Despite the considerable scholarship devoted to the exploration of the Christian faith, belief, and practice of women involved in movements for social reform and women’s rights in nineteenth-century Europe and America, inter-denominational and transnational explorations in the pursuit of women’s rights and personal spiritual fulfillment have received surprisingly little attention. This article focuses on Fredrika Bremer’s Homes of the New World (1853), the Swedish novelist’s sympathetic account of her journey to America in 1849–51, to explore her faith encounters with Unitarians and Quakers in the northeastern U.S. and with African American Christians in the southern states of Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana. The article discusses Bremer’s volumes as a work of theological engagement, profoundly connected to her concern for women’s legal and spiritual freedoms in the middle decades of the nineteenth century.
Six Decades (1948-2007) of Landscape Change in the Dougherty Plain of Southwest Georgia, USA
Authors: Martin Glenn I. , Hepinstall-Cymerman Jeffrey , Kirkman L. Katherine
Published: March 2013

Se utilizó fotografías aéreas de 1948, 1968, 1993 y 2007 para la construcción de una cronosecuencia de uso del terreno y cubierta terrestre (LULC) que representa el 10 por ciento del distrito fisiográfico de Dougherty Plain en el suroeste de Georgia. Encontramos grandes reducciones en la superficie de bosques y agricultura y el aumento de pino plantado y la agricultura de riego. El paisaje se hizo más fragmentado (por ejemplo, más parchos más pequeños) y dominado por algunas clases. Las tendencias variaron entre clases LULC con parchos de bosque cada vez más pequeños y de regadío cada vez más frecuente, especialmente en la porción central de la Llanura Dougherty donde las limitadas aguas superficiales requieren el uso de pozos de agua subterránea para el riego. Los pinos plantados fueron convirtidos principalmente de tierras agrícolas marginales entre 1948 y 1968, pero cada vez más de bosques en períodos posteriores. Los patrones LULC variaron espacialmente dentro de la Llanura Dougherty indicando que LULC puede ser impulsado por fenómenos a una escala más fina. Los conductores de los cambios observados incluyeron la adopción generalizada de riego de irrigación de pivote-central y programas de conservación de la tierra.
Impact of Prescribed Burns on Marsh Surface Elevation: Big Branch Marsh, Louisiana
Authors: Henton Christopher M. , Reese Carl A. , Fleming John Andrew S. , Heitmuller Franklin T.
Published: March 2013

Este estudio examina el impacto de las quemas prescritas en elevación de pantano comparando cambios relativos de elevación de superficie entre parcelas quemadas y parcelas de control sin quemar, utilizando una tabla de elevación de la superficie (SET) en Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge en St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Este proyecto fue desarrollado en conjunto con el Fish and Wildlife Service de los EE.UU. y servicios como fundación para un programa de largo plazo para evaluar los efectos de la quema de elevación de la superficie del pantano. Tres años después de la quema inicial, los resultados indican que no hubo diferencia significativa en el cambio de elevación de la superficie entre la isla recibiendo el tratamiento de quemaduras y la isla no quemada. Sin embargo, inmediatamente después de la quema, las diferencias de elevación entre las dos islas fueron significativas, con la parcela con quemaduras registrando una disminución significativa en elevación. Los resultados durante el curso del estudio podrían haber sido diferentes de no haber sido el área de estudio no hubiese sido impactada por los huracanes Faye, Gustav e Ike a menos de 5 meses después de la quemadura, lo que depositó una gran cantidad de sedimentos y borró el déficit inicial. Estos resultados indican que mientras que la quema prescrita debe aumentar la densidad de la vegetación, aumentando así la acumulación de materia orgánica y potencial crecimiento vertical, existe la posibilidad de que el evento de quemadura creará un déficit de elevación demasiado grande para lograr esas ganancias. Este estudio también demuestra la importancia de los aconte-cimientos derivados de la sedimentación por la tormenta en los pantanos de la Costa del Golfo.
Effect of crystalline structure on the mechanical response of polypropylene under cyclic deformation
Authors: Drozdov Aleksey D. , Klitkou Rasmus , de C.Christiansen Jesper
Published: March 2013

To evaluate the influence of crystalline structure on the mechanical behavior of polypropylene (PP), uniaxial tensile cyclic tests with a mixed program (oscillations between fixed maximum strains and the zero minimum stress) were performed on isotactic PP (iPP) manufactured by the Ziegler-Natta catalysis method, metallocene catalyzed PP (mPP), and annealed mPP. Although the stress-strain diagrams of iPP and mPP under tension are quite similar, their responses under unloading differ markedly. The residual strain (measured as the strain under retraction down to the zero stress) of iPP strongly exceeds that of non-annealed mPP, and annealing of mPP increases this difference. To rationalize these findings, constitutive equations are developed in cyclic viscoelasticity and viscoplasticity of semicrystalline polymers, and adjustable parameters in the stress-strain relations are found by fitting the observations. The ability of the model to describe the observed phenomenon and to predict the mechanical response in multi-cycle tensile tests, with various deformation programs, is demonstrated by numerical simulation.
Fast and Saturating Thrust Direction Control for a Quadrotor Helicopter
Authors: Fritsch Oliver , Henze Bernd , Lohmann Boris
Published: March 2013

In this paper we design a continuous, nonlinear state feedback controller that aligns the body-fixed thrust direction of a quadrotor helicopter with a constant desired direction given in an inertial coordinate system. The controller is designed based on an energy shaping approach and is able to saturate the control torques. Almost global asymptotic stability of the desired thrust direction is proven for arbitrary unknown moment of inertia matrices. Performance of the closed loop system is verified by simulations.