bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Who is afraid of math? Two sources of genetic variance for mathematical anxiety
Authors: Wang Zhe , Hart Sara Ann , Kovas Yulia , Lukowski Sarah , Soden Brooke , Thompson Lee A. , Plomin Robert , McLoughlin Grainne , Bartlett Christopher W. , Lyons Ian M. , Petrill Stephen A.
Published: March 2014

Background

Emerging work suggests that academic achievement may be influenced by the management of affect as well as through efficient information processing of task demands. In particular, mathematical anxiety has attracted recent attention because of its damaging psychological effects and potential associations with mathematical problem solving and achievement. This study investigated the genetic and environmental factors contributing to the observed differences in the anxiety people feel when confronted with mathematical tasks. In addition, the genetic and environmental mechanisms that link mathematical anxiety with math cognition and general anxiety were also explored.

Methods

Univariate and multivariate quantitative genetic models were conducted in a sample of 514 12‐year‐old twin siblings.

Results

Genetic factors accounted for roughly 40% of the variation in mathematical anxiety, with the remaining being accounted for by child‐specific environmental factors. Multivariate genetic analyses suggested that mathematical anxiety was influenced by the genetic and nonfamilial environmental risk factors associated with general anxiety and additional independent genetic influences associated with math‐based problem solving.

Conclusions

The development of mathematical anxiety may involve not only exposure to negative experiences with mathematics, but also likely involves genetic risks related to both anxiety and math cognition. These results suggest that integrating cognitive and affective domains may be particularly important for mathematics and may extend to other areas of academic achievement.
Microbial Levels in Apple Must and Their Association with Fruit Selection, Washing and Sanitization
Authors: Gomes Tatiane Aparecida , Filho Mauro Rodrigues Salvador , Zielinski Acácio Antonio Ferreira , Pietrowski Giovana de Arruda Moura , Nogueira Alessandro
Published: March 2014

This study evaluated the effect of the operations of selection, cleaning and sanitizing with sodium hypochlorite, on the populations of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria present in apple cider must, elaborated from commercial and industrial fruit. The microbial load differed between the cultivars and classes of fruit. The total populations of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria were higher in the industrial fruit. The operation of selection avoided cross‐contamination and the presence of organic compounds that might react with the chlorine. Washing the apples decreased the populations of these microorganisms by one logarithmic cycle. Hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that sanitization was effective at a concentration of 100 mg/L for 5 min. The sanitizer was not effective in totally eliminating the microorganisms in populations greater than 104 CFU/mL. Selection and washing help reduce natural microbiota, making sanitization more effective, and positively affecting food safety and the quality of unpasteurized cider.

Practical Applications

This article presents the results, and a thorough discussion, of the use of pre‐fermentation operations that can be used to reduce the microbial load of apple must, which is to be turned into cider. Among all the various techniques and controls, the three that were most noteworthy were analyzed (selection of fruits, washing and sanitizing with chlorine, followed by rinsing). These operations are critical control points, and if they are planned and monitored then can reduce or eliminate microorganisms (pathogens or not), eliminate or reduce the need for sulfite, facilitate the cleaning and disinfection of the environment and equipment, increase food safety, and ensure the production of high‐quality unpasteurized cider.
Organization and (De)mobilization of Farmworkers in Zimbabwe: Reflections on Trade Unions, NGOs and Political Parties
Authors: Rutherford Blair
Published: March 2014

This paper examines the ‘labour question’ in light of the wider agrarian questions, with a focus on the ways to understand activities of trade unions, NGOs and political parties as key actors in seeking to mobilize farmworkers. Drawing on research on farmworkers in Zimbabwe and engaging with literature concerning farm labour in the drastic changes to large‐scale agriculture in this country since 2000, the paper emphasizes the importance of examining the wider terrain of politics that influences the actions and abilities of extra‐farm organizations to operate with farmworkers. Through critically engaging with the wider literature concerning the political economy of farm labour, the paper proposes the importance of attending to what it calls the ‘cultural politics of belonging’, which strongly shapes both the forms of attachment of farmworkers and farm dwellers to the farms and the strategies of mobilization and demobilization taken by these organizations. Through attending to such relationships and the wider terrain of politics, this paper proposes an alternative analysis to those currently found in the polarized literature on farmworkers and the Fast Track Land Redistribution Programme in Zimbabwe.
Lineages of Paternalism: An Introduction
Authors: Gibbon Peter , Daviron Benoit , Barral Stephanie
Published: March 2014

This introductory paper argues that, for most of the period since 1914, paternalism has been the most enduring influence over labour management in large‐scale agriculture in Africa and South‐East Asia. On the other hand, paternalism appears in a number of variants, with considerable differences in terms of protagonists, degrees of comprehensiveness, emphases and relations to alternative approaches to labour management. After a brief preliminary section, the paper falls into three sections. The first argues for a specific definition of paternalism, against an account of the term's intellectual history. The second provides a sketch of paternalism's lines of development in African and South‐East Asian agriculture. The third introduces the other papers in this collection by identifying their contributions to three central questions that arise from these discussions: how paternalism has been contested and by whom, whether paternalism will persist and if so in what form, and the implications of paternalism for citizenship.
Clinical experience of J‐VAC drain for skin closure in the laparotomy of obstetrics and gynecology
Authors: Kajiwara Kazuhiro , Kimura Eizo , Nakano Makoto , Takano Hirokuni , Okamoto Aikou
Published: March 2014

Aim

The frequency of wound dehiscence after abdominal surgery has been reported to be approximately 4–29%, and that of surgical site infections is said to be of about 20%. We examined the effectiveness of the subcutaneous J‐VAC drain (JVD) in the drainage of bleeding and exudates from surgical wounds.

Material and Methods

The study was conducted on 192 patients who underwent abdominal surgery from October 2009 to February 2011, and in whom indwelling JVD were placed. During the study period, JVD (10‐Fr) were placed subcutaneously on the anterior surface of the fascia in all patients. We examined the frequency of surgical wound complications.

Results

A longitudinal incision was used in 101 patients, and a transverse abdominal incision was used in 91 patients. Subjects with a subcutaneous fat thickness of 2 cm or thicker accounted for 115 patients. Subcutaneous hematoma was present in three patients, but only two patients (1%) showed dehiscence that required treatment.

Conclusions

This study revealed that subcutaneous JVD is useful for the closure of surgical incisions in gynecology and obstetrics, and that there are no limitations to their applicability.
Extragastrointestinal stromal tumor presenting as a recurrent vulvar mass
Authors: Li Dujuan , Zhao Yuewu , Xie Hongjian , Liu Qiuyu , Kong Lingfei
Published: March 2014

Extragastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGIST) primarily arising from the female genital tract are extremely rare. We report a case of EGIST presenting as a recurrent vulvar mass with genetic analyses. A 59‐year‐old woman was found to have a 4‐cm recurrent mass in the right vulva after 6 months of the first resection. Histological findings showed that the uniform spindle cells formed interlacing bundles, with high cellular density and mild to moderate atypia. Mitotic activity averaged 10 mitoses per 50 high‐power fields. Immunohistochemical evaluation revealed that the tumor cells exhibited strong and diffuse staining for CD117, CD34 and DOG1. Ki67 labeling was approximately 15%. Molecular analysis showed an in‐frame protein deletion (P551_Q556del) at exon 11 of c‐KIT. The tumor was diagnosed as an EGIST. The patient was treated with imatinib, and was healthy at 12‐month follow‐up. EGIST should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vulvar mesenchymal tumors.
Myo‐inositol modulates insulin and luteinizing hormone secretion in normal weight patients with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Genazzani Alessandro D. , Santagni Susanna , Ricchieri Federica , Campedelli Annalisa , Rattighieri Erika , Chierchia Elisa , Marini Giulia , Despini Giulia , Prati Alessia , Simoncini Tommaso
Published: March 2014

Aim

To investigate hormonal dynamics in a group of non‐obese polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients under myo‐inositol (MYO) administration.

Methods

Hormonal profiles, insulin response to oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and luteinizing hormone (LH) response to gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test before and after the administration of a preparation of MYO (3 g p.o. daily) mixed with lactoferrin and bromelin, in a group (n = 24) of normal weight PCOS patients.

Results

After the treatment interval, body mass index (BMI) did not change while LH, LH/follicle‐stimulating hormone, 17‐hydroxy‐progesterone and androstenedione decreased significantly. Insulin response to OGTT was significantly reduced after the treatment interval (P < 0.05) as well as GnRH‐induced LH response (P < 0.05). High‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein decreased significantly after the treatment interval.

Conclusion

MYO administration positively modulates insulin sensitivity in non‐obese PCOS patients without compensatory hyperinsulinemia, improving hormonal parameters. The presence of bromelin in the formulation modulated the pro‐inflammatory state that characterizes PCOS, independently of BMI.
Service on a Stigmatized Board, Social Capital, and Change in Number of Directorships
Authors: Wurthmann Kurt A.
Published: March 2014

This article seeks to develop a nuanced understanding about the relationship between service on a stigmatized board and reduced opportunities for future directorships on other boards by examining the moderating effects of different dimensions of director social capital on this relationship. Evidence based on a unique sample of firms with boards that were viewed as being stigmatized by a group of corporate governance experts suggests that while serving on a stigmatized board is related to a reduction in future number of directorships held, this relationship is significantly mitigated for directors of upper‐class origins. However, social capital related to affiliations with other elite institutions does not appear to mitigate reduction in future number of directorships held by outside directors who serve on a stigmatized board. Implications and future directions in research on class‐based influence in the corporate community and stigmatization and devaluation of elites associated with corporate failures are discussed.
MRI Findings in Encephalopathy with Primary Carnitine Deficiency: A Case Report
Authors: Yilmaz Temel Fatih , Atay Musa , Toprak Huseyin , Guler Serhat , Aralasmak Ayse , Alkan Alpay
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

We presented MRI and DWI findings of a 12‐year‐old boy with primary carnitine deficiency, manifested with hypoglycemic hypoketotic encephalopathy.

METHODS

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) were performed to the patient.

RESULTS

In our case, T2 hyperintensity and diffusion restriction were noted bilaterally in the corona radiate, cerebral white matter, deep white matter of cerebellum, ascending (inferior cerebellar peduncle) and descending tracts (corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts) of brainstem.

CONCLUSIONS

MRI and DWI are helpful in the diagnosis, therapy planning and follow up of encephalopathic cases with carnitine deficiency.
Accumulation and elimination of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin in the ridgetail white prawnExopalaemon carinicaudafollowing medicated feed and bath administration
Authors: Liang J. P. , Li J. , Li J. T. , Liu P. , Chang Z. Q. , Nie G. X.
Published: March 2014

Accumulation and elimination of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin were evaluated inExopalaemon carinicaudafollowing medicated feed at dose of 10 mg/kg weight body per day for five consecutive days and 10 mg/L bath for five consecutive days at 18 °C. At different times, nine ridgetail white prawns were randomly selected from the tank and sampled after the last medicated feed or bath administration. The concentration of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in the main tissues (hepatopancreas, muscle, gill, and ovary) was detected byHPLC. The results showed that the maximum concentrations of enrofloxacin were 3.408 ± 0.245, 0.554 ± 0.088, 0.789 ± 0.074, and 0.714 ± 0.123 μg/g for hepatopancreas, muscle, gill, and ovary, respectively, at 1 day after the last medicated feed treatment. The enrofloxacin concentrations were 2.389 ± 0.484, 0.656 ± 0.012, 0.951 ± 0.144, and 3.107 ± 0.721 μg/g in hepatopancreas, muscle, gill, and ovary, respectively, at 1 day after the last bath administration. Ciprofloxacin could be detected in hepatopancreas, muscle, gill, and ovary. However, the concentrations of ciprofloxacin were much lower in comparison with that of enrofloxacin in various tissues. The concentrations of enrofloxacin plus ciprofloxacin in hepatopancreas, muscle, gill, and ovary followed an eliminating pattern during the sampling time after the two routes of administration. Based on data derived from this study, to avoid the enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin residue inE. carinicauda, it should take at least 20 and 25 days to wash out the drug from the tissues after the last medicated feed and bath administration with enrofloxacin, respectively. These results helped the Chinese fishery department to lay down the current guidelines on enrofloxacin plus ciprofloxacin withdrawal periods for farmed shrimp.
Divergent immunity and energetic programs in the gills of migratory and resident Oncorhynchus mykiss
Authors: Sutherland Ben J. G. , Hanson Kyle C. , Jantzen Johanna R. , Koop Ben F. , Smith Christian T.
Published: March 2014

Divergent life history strategies occur in steelhead or rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, and many populations produce both migrant (anadromous fish that move to the ocean after rearing) and resident (do not migrate and remain in fresh water) individuals. Mechanisms leading to each type are only partially understood; while the general tendency of a population is heritable, individual tendency may be plastic, influenced by local environment. Steelhead hatchery programmes aim to mitigate losses in wild stocks by producing trout that will migrate to the ocean and not compete with wild trout for limited freshwater resources. To increase our understanding of gill function in these migratory or resident phenotypes, here we compare gill transcriptome profiles of hatchery‐released fish either at the release site (residents) or five river kilometres downstream while still in full fresh water (migrants). To test whether any of these genes can be used as predictive markers for smoltification, we compared these genes between migrant‐like and undifferentiated trout while still in the hatchery in a common environment (prerelease). Results confirmed the gradual process of smoltification, and the importance of energetics, gill remodelling and ion transport capacity for migrants. Additionally, residents overexpressed transcripts involved in antiviral defences, potentially for immune surveillance via dendritic cells in the gills. The best smoltification marker candidate was protein s100a4, expression of which was highly correlated with Na+, K+ ATPase (NKA) activity and smolt‐like morphology in pre‐ and postrelease trout gills.
STAT3 represents a molecular switch possibly inducing astroglial instead of oligodendroglial differentiation of oligodendroglial progenitor cells in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis
Authors: Sun Yanyong , Lehmbecker Annika , Kalkuhl Arno , Deschl Ulrich , Sun Wenhui , Rohn Karl , Tzvetanova Iva D. , Nave Klaus‐Armin , Baumgärtner Wolfgang , Ulrich Reiner
Published: March 2014

Aims

Insufficient oligodendroglial differentiation of oligodendroglial progenitor cells (OPCs) is suggested to be responsible for remyelination failure and astroglial scar formation in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis (TME). The aim of the present study is to identify molecular key regulators of OPC differentiation in TME, and to dissect their mechanism of action in vitro.

Methods

TME virus (TMEV) infected SJL/J‐mice were evaluated by rotarod analysis, histopathology, immunohistology and gene expression microarray analysis. The STAT3 pathway was activated using meteorin and inhibited using STAT3 inhibitor VII in the glial progenitor cell line BO‐1 and in primary rat OPCs in vitro.

Results

As expected, immunohistology demonstrated progressively decreasing myelin basic protein‐positive white matter in TME. In contrast, intralesional NG2‐positive OPCs as well as GFAP‐positive astrocytes were increased. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis revealed 26 Gene Ontology terms including ‘JAK‐STAT cascade’ to be significantly positively correlated with the density of NG2‐positive OPCs. Immunohistology revealed an increased amount of activated, phosphorylated STAT3‐expressing astrocytes, OPCs, and microglia/macrophages within the lesions. Meteorin‐induced activation of STAT3‐signalling in BO‐1 cells and primary rat OPCs resulted in an enhanced GFAP and reduced CNPase expression. In contrast, an oppositional result was observed in BO‐1 cells treated with STAT3 inhibitor VII.

Conclusions

The STAT3 pathway is a key regulator of OPC‐differentiation, suggested to shift their differentiation from an oligodendroglial towards an astrocytic fate, thereby inducing astrogliosis and insufficient remyelination in TME.
Putting the brakes on: abscisic acid as a central environmental regulator of stomatal development
Authors: Chater Caspar C. C. , Oliver James , Casson Stuart , Gray Julie E.
Published: March 2014

Stomata are produced by a controlled series of epidermal cell divisions. The molecular underpinnings of this process are becoming well understood, but mechanisms that determine plasticity of stomatal patterning to many exogenous and environmental cues remain less clear. Light quantity and quality, vapour pressure deficit, soil water content, and CO2 concentration are detected by the plant, and new leaves adapt their stomatal densities accordingly. Mature leaves detect these environmental signals and relay messages to immature leaves to tell them how to adapt and grow. Stomata on mature leaves may act as stress signal‐sensing and transduction centres, locally by aperture adjustment, and at long distance by optimizing stomatal density to maximize future carbon gain while minimizing water loss. Although mechanisms of stomatal aperture responses are well characterized, the pathways by which mature stomata integrate environmental signals to control immature epidermal cell fate, and ultimately stomatal density, are not. Here we evaluate current understanding of the latter through the influence of the former. We argue that mature stomata, as key portals by which plants coordinate their carbon and water relations, are controlled by abscisic acid (ABA), both metabolically and hydraulically, and that ABA is also a core regulator of environmentally determined stomatal development.

Contents

Summary
376

I.
Making holes: the developmental programme
376

II.
Controlling the valves: guard cell physiology
378

III.
Ontogenetic priming to ABA and its role in stomatal development
378

IV.
ABA metabolism and its contribution to stomatal development
380

V.
Light‐mediated changes in stomatal patterning: a role for ABA?
382

VI.
A role for ABA in CO2 and carbon budget signalling
384

VII.
Light‐mediated changes in stomatal patterning: a role for ABA?
385

VIII.
Conclusions
386

Acknowledgements
387

References
387
Sevoflurane‐induced changes in infants' quantifiable electroencephalogram parameters
Authors: McKeever Stephen , Johnston Linda , Davidson Andrew J.
Published: March 2014

Background

Electroencephalogram (EEG) based depth of anesthesia algorithms developed in the adult population have not demonstrated the same reliability when applied to infants. This may be due to frequency changes occurring in the EEG during development. Amplitude‐integrated EEG (aEEG) is based primarily in the time domain and hence may have greater utility in infants.

Objective

To investigate the relationship between age adjusted Minimal Alveolar Concentration (MAC) multiples and aEEG in children under 2 years of age.

Methods

The aEEG, Spectral Edge Frequency 90% (SEF90) and Bispectral Index™ (BIS) were investigated in a prospective study of children <2 years of age. After anesthetic induction, and caudal block administration, EEG data were collected simultaneously with BrainZ BRM2™ and BIS™ monitors. Using a randomized crossover design, children received up to three age adjusted concentrations of sevoflurane: 0.75, 1 and 1.25 MAC. After 15 min of stable anesthetic delivery EEG readings were obtained. Prediction Probability (Pk) and correlation coefficients were calculated for each EEG parameter.

Results

From 51 children 102 stable anesthetics concentrations were obtained. For all age groups Pk of aEEG to multiple of age adjusted MAC was <0.72 indicating a poor predictive power for aEEG. In contrast for the SEF90 and BIS there was evidence for better predictive properties in children aged between 6 months and 2 years, with a Pk >0.81.

Conclusion

The aEEG is unlikely to be a useful measure of anesthesia depth in young children.
Dexamethasone, ondansetron, and their combination and postoperative nausea and vomiting in children undergoing strabismus surgery: a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Shen Yun‐Dun , Chen Chien‐Yu , Wu Chih‐Hsiung , Cherng Yih‐Giun , Tam Ka‐Wai
Published: March 2014

Background

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication after pediatric strabismus surgery. Steroids and ondansetron (a 5‐HT3 antagonist) can effectively reduce nausea, vomiting, and pain and thus might be useful agents for the prevention of PONV in pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the prophylactic effects of dexamethasone and ondansetron on PONV after strabismus surgery in pediatric patients.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify RCTs that investigated the efficacy and safety of intravenous dexamethasone or ondansetron on PONV in pediatric strabismus surgical patients. The primary outcome was the incidence of PONV during the initial 24 postoperative hours. The secondary outcomes were number of patients requiring a rescue antiemetic and complications.

Results

We included 13 RCTs that evaluated 2006 patients. In the two studies that compared dexamethasone and placebo treatments, POV occurred in 34.3% (23/67) of the patients in the dexamethasone group and in 68.2% (45/66) of the patients in the placebo group. The difference between the two groups was significant (RR 0.50; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34–0.72). Similarly, seven studies that compared ondansetron and a placebo identified a relatively lower incidence of PONV in the ondansetron group (103/277, 37.2%) than in the placebo group (177/270, 65.6%). The difference between the two groups was also significant (RR 0.58; 95% CI 0.43–0.79). The combination of dexamethasone and ondansetron was significantly more effective at reducing the incidence of POV than dexamethasone or ondansetron alone. In all included RCTs, experimental drug‐related complications, such as facial flushing and headache, were limited.

Conclusions

Surgeons and anesthesiologists are recommended to administer the combination of dexamethasone and ondansetron to pediatric patients undergoing strabismus surgery.
Nevus of Striated Muscle: A New Clinicopathologic Entity
Authors: Ormaechea Nerea , Hernández‐Martín Angela , Happle Rudolf , Colmenero Isabel , Torrelo Antonio
Published: March 2014

A 3‐month‐old boy presented with a congenital atrophic plaque on his right palm. On histopathologic examination, bundles of mature striated muscle were noted replacing the subcutis and extending into the dermis, without any other mesenchymal component seen. We have not been able to find a similar previously reported case. We propose the name nevus of striated muscle for this congenital, well‐circumscribed cutaneous lesion composed exclusively of mature skeletal muscle.
Efficacy of deferasirox in children with β‐thalassemia: Single‐center 3 year experience
Authors: Aycicek Ali , Koc Ahmet , Abuhandan Mahmut
Published: March 2014

Background

Iron chelation therapy is an important component in the management of patients with β‐thalassemia.

Methods

The study included 87 children with transfusion‐dependent β‐thalassemia aged 2–17 years (mean, 8.2 ± 4.1 years), 49 (56%) of whom were male. The patients received deferasirox 9–40 mg/kg per day as a single dose for 36 months. They were clinically and laboratory monitored.

Results

The treatment was generally well tolerated. Drug‐related adverse events, including abdominal pain (14.9%) and nausea (5.8%), high alanine aminotransferase more than double the upper limit of normal (5.8%), and non‐progressive rise in serum creatinine (2.3%), were generally mild to moderate, transient, and reduced in frequency over time. Two patients discontinued treatment due to severe abdominal pain and nausea. Mean deferasirox dose was calculated as 21.2 ± 8.6, 23.7 ± 8.1, 30.7 ± 8.2 and 32.4 ± 7.6 mg/kg per day at 0, 12, 24 and 36 months, respectively. Mean (median) serum ferritin level was found to increase progressively during the first 22 months of treatment, from 3.161 ± 1.683 ng/mL (2.760 ng/mL) to 3.679 ± 1.997 ng/mL (3.071 ng/mL; P < 0.001) and then decreased gradually to 2.907 ± 1.436 ng/mL (2.670 ng/mL; P = 0.023) at 36 months.

Conclusion

Deferasirox is safe and well tolerated; doses 21–24 mg/kg per day were not able to maintain stable iron balance, but ≥30 mg/kg per day was able to reduce iron in regularly transfused pediatric patients.
When communication quality is trustworthy? Transactive memory systems and the mediating role of trust in software development teams
Authors: Tang Fangcheng
Published: March 2014

While the importance of communication frequency to transactive memory system (TMS) development has well been established, few studies have been done examining the relationship between communication quality and transactive memory systems in software development teams. This study empirically tests the relationships between communication quality andTMS, and the effect ofTMSon team effectiveness. We also examine the mediating effect of trust on the link between communication quality andTMS. By investigating 86 software development teams inChina, the results suggest that: (1) communication quality has a positive effect onTMS; (2) the link between communication quality andTMSis mediated by benevolence‐ and competence‐based trust; and (3)TMShas a positive impact on team performance. Theoretical and managerial implications of the study findings are discussed.
In search of a setting for learning in Roman antiquity: Renaissance surveys of Varro's garden musaeum at Casinum
Authors: Cellauro Louis
Published: March 2014

It has usually been supposed that drawings by Giuliano da Sangallo and Francesco di Giorgio of an ancient structure at Casinum (modern Cassino) were then thought to show elements of Varro's villa. In this article it is argued that during the Renaissance the structure in question was more specifically identified as Varro's study or museum; and it was for this reason that it was used as a source for the Odeo Cornaro at Padua, a building that was intended to have a similar function to an ancient museum. The article also includes a discussion of the origins and use of the term museum in Italy during the sixteenth century
Postcolonial geographies, decolonization, and the performance of geopolitics at Commonwealth conferences
Authors: Craggs Ruth
Published: March 2014

Research in postcolonial geography has overlooked the period, practices and spaces of political decolonization in favour of studies of high imperialism and ongoing contemporary colonialism. Here, I suggest geographers should look more carefully at the mid‐twentieth century era during which people, institutions and states negotiated, performed and experienced becoming postcolonial. I make this case by focusing on the modern Commonwealth which emerged from the end of the British Empire, and specifically, on two Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings in the 1970s. At this time the Commonwealth was an important site for rehearsing anticolonial, anti‐British and postcolonial political identities, for contesting British policies in Southern Africa and intervening in ongoing decolonization. The paper makes three broader contributions. First, it highlights the need to grasp the specificities of institutions arising from decolonization, and to take this period seriously as one that was experienced, at least by political elites, as one of dramatic change, characterized by exciting opportunities as well as uncertainty and frustration. Second, it broadens conceptualizations of geopolitical space and action by drawing attention to international conferences as geopolitical events through which political positions and identities were staged and performed. Third, it contributes to (and complicates) notions of the subaltern within postcolonial geopolitics.
Subaltern geographies: Geographical knowledge and postcolonial strategy
Authors: Jazeel Tariq
Published: March 2014

In recent years a small but rich geographical literature has engaged with Subaltern Studies to explore the geographical and geopolitical imaginations of subaltern subjects and groups. Such writings have deployed subalternity to designate a substantive subject or group marginalized in the face of power. Departing from this, the paper instead treats subalternity more figuratively, as a word able to evoke spatialities occluded by the Euro‐American power that haunts disciplinary geography. The paper argues that using subalternity like this holds the potential to pluralize geographical interventions, particularly in the light of the discipline's materialist turns since the late 1990s. To make this argument, the paper engages Gayatri Spivak's seminal critique of the Subaltern Studies collective, suggesting how this might speak productively to a postcolonial geographical methodology. It demonstrates the potential of this methodology by weaving it through a broader attempt to critically engage the politics of nature and environment in Sri Lanka.
From Coalition to Constraint: Modes of Thought in Contemporary American Conservatism
Authors: Perrin Andrew J. , Micah Roos J. , Gauchat Gordon W.
Published: March 2014

We advocate a relational approach to understanding contemporary conservatism in the United States. Our approach suggests that conservatism provides a cultural repertoire for adherents to use in adapting to new or changed political situations. We provide evidence based on public opinion data that conservatism is neither a single, monolithic ideology nor a mere coalition of convenience among disparate interest groups. Instead, conservatism should be understood as an amalgam of overlapping but distinct styles of thought, held together through a cultural identification with conservative identity.
Antenatal screening for Toxoplasma gondii, Cytomegalovirus, rubella and Treponema pallidum infections in northern Benin
Authors: De Paschale Massimo , Ceriani Cristina , Cerulli Teresa , Cagnin Debora , Cavallari Serena , Cianflone Annalisa , Diombo Kouma , Ndayaké Joseph , Aouanou Guy , Zaongo Dieudonné , Priuli Gianbattista , Viganò Paolo , Clerici Pierangelo
Published: March 2014

Objectives

Toxoplasma gondii, cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and rubella virus infections are among the most serious of those contracted during pregnancy in terms of foetal consequences. Toxoplasma, HCMV and rubella antibody screening is unusual in Africa, and there are few published data. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of these markers among pregnant women in northern Benin on the occasion of routine syphilis screening.

Methods

Toxoplasma, HCMV and rubella IgG and IgM antibodies were determined in the serum of 283 women attending Saint Jean de Dieu de Tanguiéta hospital, using an enzyme immunoassay, and IgM were confirmed using an enzyme‐linked fluorescent assay (ELFA). In the case of IgM positivity, the avidity of anti‐HCMV and anti‐Toxoplasma IgG was measured. Total anti‐Treponema pallidum antibodies were determined using an enzyme immunoassay and confirmed by immunoblotting. In the case of positivity, the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test was used.

Results

The prevalence of anti‐Toxoplasma, anti‐HCMV, anti‐rubella IgG and total anti‐Treponema antibodies was, respectively, 30.0%, 100%, 94% and 2.5%. The VDRL test was positive in 62.5% of the anti‐Treponema‐positive samples. The prevalence of anti‐Toxoplasma, anti‐HCMV and anti‐rubella IgM was, respectively, 0.4%, 1.4% and 0%. There were no statistically significant differences in terms of age class or trimester of pregnancy. Anti‐Toxoplasma and anti‐HCMV IgG avidity was always high.

Conclusions

The prevalence of HCMV and rubella antibodies is high in northern Benin, whereas that of Toxoplasma antibodies is lower. As nearly two‐thirds of the pregnant women were anti‐Toxoplasma seronegative, antibody screening should be introduced.
Sec16 Determines the Size and Functioning of the Golgi in the Protist Parasite, Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Sealey‐Cardona Marco , Schmidt Katy , Demmel Lars , Hirschmugl Tatjana , Gesell Tanja , Dong Gang , Warren Graham
Published: March 2014

The Sec16 homologue in Trypanosoma brucei has been identified and characterized. TbSec16 colocalizes with COPII components at the single endoplasmic reticulum exit site (ERES), which is next to the single Golgi stack in the insect (procyclic) form of this organism. Depletion of TbSec16 reduces the size of the ERES and the Golgi, and slows growth and transport of a secretory marker to the cell surface; conversely, overexpression of TbSec16 increases the size of the ERES and Golgi but has no effect on growth or secretion. Together these data suggest that TbSec16 regulates the size of the ERES and Golgi and this size is set for optimal growth of the organism.
The Nurse as Bricoleur in Falls Prevention: Learning from a Case Study of the Implementation of Fall Prevention Best Practices
Authors: Kirkpatrick Helen , Boblin Sheryl , Ireland Sandra , Robertson Kim
Published: March 2014

Background

Falls prevention in “real‐life” clinical practice is a complex undertaking. Nurses play an active and essential role in falls prevention.

Aim

This discussion paper presents a picture of the nurse as a bricoleur in falls prevention, requiring knowledge in many areas and the ability to perform multiple diverse tasks.

Methods

Building on a qualitative case study with nurses at various levels in three acute care facilities, this paper posits that the concept of nurse as bricoleur has the potential to broaden our understanding of the complexity of falls prevention.

Findings

The nurse as bricoleur within the Promoting Action Research in Health Services framework as the provider of person‐ or patient‐centered evidence‐based care is conceptualized. Within this framework, the nurse uses his or her professional knowledge or clinical experience while considering research, local data, and information, and the patient's experience and preferences to provide this care, the bricolage. Each of these areas is discussed as well as the impact on the nurse when a fall does occur.

Linking Evidence to Action

Recognizing this complexity of the nurses' world has important implications for both service delivery and education, including preparation of students, and the implementation of new organizational initiatives and supports for nurses when falls do occur despite the best efforts of all involved.
Thin monodromy in Sp(4)
Authors: Brav Christopher , Thomas Hugh
Published: March 2014

We show that some hypergeometric monodromy groups in ${\rm Sp}(4,\mathbf{Z})$ split as free or amalgamated products and hence by cohomological considerations give examples of Zariski dense, non-arithmetic monodromy groups of real rank $2$. In particular, we show that the monodromy group of the natural quotient of the Dwork family of quintic threefolds in $\mathbf{P}^{4}$ splits as $\mathbf{Z}\ast \mathbf{Z}/5\mathbf{Z}$. As a consequence, for a smooth quintic threefold $X$ we show that the group of autoequivalences $D^{b}(X)$ generated by the spherical twist along ${\mathcal{O}}_{X}$ and by tensoring with ${\mathcal{O}}_{X}(1)$ is an Artin group of dihedral type.
Finiteness of algebraic fundamental groups
Authors: Xu Chenyang
Published: March 2014

We show that the algebraic local fundamental group of any Kawamata log terminal singularity as well as the algebraic fundamental group of the smooth locus of any log Fano variety are finite.
The non-existence of stable Schottky forms
Authors: Codogni G. , Shepherd-Barron N. I.
Published: March 2014

We show that there is no stable Siegel modular form that vanishes on every moduli space of curves.
An Integral Solution for Skin Friction in Turbulent Flow Over Aerodynamically Rough Surfaces With an Arbitrary Pressure Gradient
Authors: Sucec James
Published: March 2014

The combined law of the wall and wake, with the inclusion of the “roughness depression function” for the inner law in the “Log” region, is used as the inner coordinates' velocity profile in the integral form of the x momentum equation to solve for the local skin friction coefficient. The “equivalent sand grain roughness” concept is employed in the roughness depression function in the solution. Calculations are started at the beginning of roughness on a surface, as opposed to starting them using the measured experimental values at the first data point, when making comparisons of predictions with data sets. The dependence of the velocity wake strength on both pressure gradient and momentum thickness Reynolds number are taken into account. Comparisons of the prediction with experimental skin friction data, from the literature, have been made for some adverse, zero, and favorable (accelerating flows) pressure gradients. Predictions of the shape factor, roughness Reynolds number, and momentum thickness Reynolds number and comparisons with data are also made for some cases. In addition, some comparisons with the predictions of earlier investigators have also been made.
Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Flow Phenomena in a Centrifugal Pump Operating Under Low Flow Rates
Authors: Fu Yanxia , Yuan Jianping , Yuan Shouqi , Pace Giovanni , d'Agostino Luca , Huang Ping , Li Xiaojun
Published: March 2014

The characteristics of flow instabilities as well as the cavitation phenomenon in a centrifugal pump operating at low flow rates were studied by experimental and numerical means, respectively. Specially, a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model of cavitation was applied to simulate the internal flow through the pump and suitably long portions of the inlet and outlet ducts. As expected, cavitation proved to occur over a wide range of low flow rates, producing a characteristic creeping shape of the head-drop curve and developing in the form of nonaxisymmetric cavities. As expected, the occurrence of these cavities, attached to the blade suction sides, was found to depend on the pump's flow coefficient and cavitation number. The experiments focused on the flow visualization of the internal flow patterns by means of high-speed digital movies and in the analysis of the inlet pressure pulsations near the impeller eye by means of fast response pressure transducers. The experimental results showed that the unsteady behavior of the internal flow in the centrifugal pump operating at low flow rates has the characteristics of a peculiar low-frequency oscillation. Meanwhile, under certain conditions, the low-frequency pressure fluctuations were closely correlated to the flow instabilities induced by the occurrence of cavitation phenomena at low flow rates. Finally, the hydraulic performances of the centrifugal pump predicted by numerical simulations were in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data.
Towards a Reference Architecture for Archival Systems: Use Case With Product Data
Authors: Barbau Raphael , Lubell Joshua , Rachuri Sudarsan , Foufou Sebti
Published: March 2014

Long-term preservation of product data is imperative for many organizations. A product data archive should be designed to ensure information accessibility and understanding over time. Approaches, such as the Open Archival Information System Reference Model (OAIS RM) and the Audit and Certification of Trustworthy Digital Repositories (ACTDR), provide a framework for conceptually describing and evaluating archives. These approaches are generic and do not focus on particular contexts or content types such as product data. Moreover, these approaches offer no guidance on how to formally and comprehensively describe archival systems. Such descriptions should include the business activities that a product data archive has to support and the systems that interact with the archive. Enterprise architecture provides a means to describe systems in their potentially complex environments. This paper proposes a holistic approach to formally describe the architecture and the environment of archival systems. This approach relies on the formal representation of the preservation terminology, including OAIS concepts, using the Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF). The approach covers the various interactions of other business functions with the archive and the information models necessary to ensure preservation and accessibility of product data. This approach is a step towards a reference architecture for the formal description of archival systems. To demonstrate the approach, we formally describe the ingest of product data related to a ship. The resulting description uses the preservation terminology defined in the OAIS Reference Model. It facilitates the understanding of how the preservation solution is actually implemented and provides evidence that the solution is able to preserve product data and make it accessible.
Recurrent aseptic meningitis as a rare but important presentation of congenital petrous apex cholesteatoma: the value of appropriate imaging
Authors: MacKeith Samuel A , Soledad-Juarez Maria , Tiberti Liliana , Orfila Daniel
Published: March 2014

We describe the presentation, investigation and challenging management of a young adult with recurrent aseptic meningitis. The presence of cholesterol and triglycerides in the cerebrospinal fluid sample was recognised as a potential sign of an underlying dermoid or epidermoid cyst. We demonstrate how appropriate imaging of the skull base with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) MRI can help differentiate between lesions of the petrous apex, facilitating the diagnosis of a petrous apex congenital cholesteatoma/epidermoid cyst. Awareness of this unusual mode of presentation of a rare disease, as well as knowledge of key diagnostic investigations, may allow for earlier identification, treatment and reduced morbidity/mortality.
Torticollis following tympanoplasty: an index case with lessons in encountering the unexpected
Authors: Ramdoo Krishan , Hall Andy , Dimitriadis Panagiotis A , Singh Arvind
Published: March 2014

The term torticollis is derived from the Latin words ‘tortis’ for twisted and ‘collum’ for neck. Typical features include sudden onset of severe unilateral pain, with restriction of movements and deviation of the neck to that side. Although torticollis is a well recognised abnormality, there is minimal literature identifying it as a sole long-standing complication in otological surgery. We present the case of a 15-year-old boy who developed permanent torticollis following a routine tympanoplasty. A CT of the neck revealed an atlantoaxial rotatory fixation with cross fusion between C1 and C2. This case highlights a rare cause of torticollis resulting from a routine otological procedure. It also differentiates between Grisel's syndrome, which is characterised by atlantoaxial subluxation as opposed to fusion. The role of the multidisciplinary team is imperative and in particular the need for urgent discussion with the neurosurgical team to ensure prompt assessment and management of the patient takes place.
Shared decision-making in treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma
Authors: Muus Steffensen Signe , Korsgaard Niels
Published: March 2014

An 82-year-old woman presented with an asymptomatic mass, rapidly growing on her left cheek for the previous 3 months. Punch biopsy of the tumour was performed, and the pathology was compatible with Merkel cell carcinoma. A resection margin of more than 1 cm would involve left oral commissura, potentially damaging speech, eating and drinking ability. The patient had a strong wish of keeping surgery simple in order to maintain quality of life. Tumour excision was performed with 1 cm resection margin, and postoperatively the patient was referred to adjuvant radiation therapy. Sensibility of upper and lower lip remained unaffected, while motor innervation of left upper lip was impaired. Despite this, the patient's ability to talk and eat was unaffected. Surgery, with adjunctive radiation therapy, is the first-line of treatment for the primary tumour. The option for a more conservative treatment is not first choice, but can be considered upon individual assessment.
A case of pseudocyanosis
Authors: Ekanayaka Ruvan A I
Published: March 2014

Cyanosis is an ominous physical sign indicating significant cardiac or respiratory disease. However, bluish discolouration mimicking cyanosis could occur in methaemoglobinaemia. The clinical implications being very different, it is important that the aetiology of bluish discolouration of tissues is correctly identified. A case is reported where the antianginal agent nicorandil was identified as the most likely cause for methaemoglobinaemia.
Hypnotic hiccups
Authors: Vorona Robert Daniel , Szklo-Coxe Mariana , Ware James Catesby
Published: March 2014

Our patient presented with repetitive, self-limited bouts of forceful hiccups in sleep. Eszopiclone, a commonly prescribed hypnotic, appeared to cause these intermittent hiccups. This case is a reminder that eszopiclone may cause this adverse effect, and that it may be the bed partner and not the patient who furnishes critical sleep medicine history.
A rare cause of asymptomatic solitary pulmonary nodule: adultSchistosomaworm
Authors: Chaudhry Ikram Ulhaq , Manah Wejdan , Alghamdi Mohammed , Mutairi Hadi
Published: March 2014

Solitary pulmonary nodule due to various pathologies has been reported in the medical literature. We report a case of solitary pulmonary nodule in an asymptomatic 60-year-old male smoker, who had a positive family history of pulmonary tuberculosis. His routine screening chest X-ray revealed a 2×1.5 cm nodule in the right lung upper zone. A CT scan of the thorax confirmed the finding. Bronchoscopy, lavage, biopsy and screening for tuberculosis were negative. Owing to its technical difficulty, a CT-guided biopsy was deferred by the radiologist, hence we decided to perform segmentectomy that showed granuloma harbouring an adultSchistosomaworm. This is the first case of asymptomatic solitary pulmonary nodule due to adultSchistosomaworm 26 years after the exposure.