bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi‐species diffusion analysis in porous media under various dry density and temperature conditions: molecular dynamics simulation, homogenization analysis, and finite element method
Authors: Choi Jung Hae , Kawamura Katsuyuki , Kimoto Kazushi , Ichikawa Yasuaki , Chae Byung‐Gon
Published: June 2014

In porous media, chemical species that dissolve in pore water can be transported via diffusion mechanisms or advective fluxes, close to or far away from where precipitation occurs. In the case of a high‐level radioactive waste disposal system, compacted bentonite is used in a buffer material in an engineering barrier system to minimize the amount of specific nuclides that breach into the surrounding host rock. To minimize breaching, it is very important to understand the transport mechanism of multiple chemical species in porous media. In the following research, we introduced FEM analysis methods using the results of the molecular dynamics simulation and homogenization analysis (MD/HA) method. First, the diffusion coefficients of ions (Cl−, I−, and Na+) in different water layers of Na‐beidellite were calculated using the MD/HA procedure under various dry density (1.2, 1.6, and 2.0 Mg/m3) and temperature (293, 323, and 363 K) conditions. Next, using FEM analysis that used the MD/HA results as input parameters, the diffusion behaviors of ions in porous media were calculated. The results indicate that the diffusion coefficients of the interlayer water in Na‐beidellite are different from the diffusion coefficients under dry density conditions. Further, the concentration profiles (Ct/C0) of iodine and chloride are proportional to temperature but inversely proportional to dry density. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neuropsychological functioning of children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia: impact of whole brain radiation therapy
Authors: Annett Robert D. , Hile Sarah , Bedrick Edward , Kunin‐Batson Alicia S. , Krull Kevin R. , Embry Leanne , MacLean Willliam E. , Noll Robert B.
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To provide one of the first prospective reports examining neuropsychological outcomes for children treated with 1800 cGy whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and prophylactic chemotherapy versus prophylactic chemotherapy alone for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Acute and long‐term neuropsychological toxicities associated with WBRT are compared.

Methods

This multisite study included 188 children, ages 4–21 years at enrollment, who were assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests at 9, 21, and 48 months after diagnosis with intermediate risk ALL. All participating children were receiving treatment on a parent study CCG105.

Results

Verbal intelligence (VIQ) scores for children receiving WBRT was significantly lower than VIQ for prophylactic chemotherapy at the 48‐month time point (p < 0.05). A significant cross‐level interaction between time since diagnosis and treatment condition was observed (p < 0.05). WBRT did not result in differences in PIQ; both groups of children demonstrated comparable increases in PIQ. Neuropsychological findings at 48 months after diagnosis indicated diminished performance in neuromotor, visual–motor coordination, and executive functioning for children receiving WBRT. Academic achievement was unaffected by WBRT at 4 years after diagnosis.

Conclusions

The measurement of verbal and performance IQ as a primary endpoint in ALL clinical trials is critical to characterizing neuropsychological late effects. A trajectory of decline in neuropsychological functioning, specifically verbal IQ, was observed. Missing data within the trial occurred at random and did not impact results observed. The impact of WBRT becomes evident at 48 months after diagnosis, suggesting the need for long‐term follow‐up beyond the time frame typically used in Phase III trials. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Utility Sector Performance Post Reforms: Investigating the South Asian Economies
Authors: Vu Khoung M. , Gurtoo Anjula
Published: June 2014

This article critically evaluates the utility sector performance of South Asian economies for the last two decades. Utility sector inputs are key to socioeconomic development, contributing to poverty reduction by fueling economic growth and enabling the fulfillment of basic human needs. After two decades of utility sector reforms, is the sector contributing significantly to the economic growth of the East Asian nations? And what does this augur for the poor? To answer these questions, the results for the five South Asian economies are put side by side, namely, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, focused on the period from 1990 to 2008. Results show a declining GDP share of the sector for countries such as India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Put alongside the sector's employment share, the decline in the GDP share along with growth in the employment share for India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan indicate the lack of sectoral expansion as well as modernization. Moreover, a declining contribution of the utility sector to the overall growth of the nation, as compared to other sectors, is evident for all the countries except Sri Lanka. We discuss these and other results in light of the impact on the socially and economically marginalized populations of these countries.
Pilot Study Evaluating Utilization Patterns of the $4.00 Pharmacy Program in a Community Retail Setting
Authors: Wallen Kelli , Lal Lincy S. , Green Christina , Rosenau Pauline Vaillancourt
Published: June 2014

To increase access, availability, and affordability, large retail pharmacies have initiated $4.00 monthly programs for generic medications. We conducted this pilot survey to determine the demographics and purchasing patterns of patients utilizing the $4.00 program at a community retail pharmacy setting in the United States. We conducted a pilot survey, with 20 questions, in North Texas at a large retail chain grocery store pharmacy. We collected data regarding demographics, medications purchased, and cost to the customer and then analyzed these data using descriptive statistics. Of the 60 pharmacy customers we approached, 54 (90 percent) consented to take the survey. Among the participants, 88 percent had some form of health insurance coverage, with the majority carrying either private insurance (63 percent) or Medicare (19 percent). Of the 27 individuals participating in the $4.00 program, 23 had some form of health insurance. Heart health/blood pressure medications were the most commonly purchased (31 percent), followed by cholesterol‐reducing medications (13 percent). This pilot survey illustrates that a majority of the individuals surveyed were aware of the program. However, only 50 percent of the study participants used the program, with 88 percent having some form of health insurance coverage.
Placing Poverty in Context: A Case Study
Authors: Gopinath Deepak , Nair Murali
Published: June 2014

The “poverty‐in‐context” approach to understanding poverty is shaped by the needs and priorities of a particular context, and it can be used as the basis for identifying pro‐poor projects in local strategies such as City Development Plans. A key argument for the introduction of the City Development Plans initiative (2007–2012) in India was to move away from national conceptions of and responses to poverty and to instead focus on engaging with local understandings of poverty. Through a case study of the City Development Plan initiative in Trivandrum, the capital city of the Kerala state in southern India, we argue that an understanding of poverty at the local level did not accommodate contextual needs and priorities; consequently, we develop a poverty‐in‐context approach based on semi‐structured qualitative interviews with various stakeholders in the case study area. The article concludes by suggesting how in the future a poverty‐in‐context approach might be used to shape pro‐poor policy in general and preparation of City Development Plans in particular.
Group Participation and Women Empowerment: Matching as an Evaluation Estimator—A District‐Level Study in West Bengal, India
Authors: Bhattacharya Joysankar , Banerjee Sarmila
Published: June 2014

The article aims at isolating the effect of group participation on women empowerment using primary data on 1,500 individual women collected during 2007–2008 from two districts of West Bengal, India, namely, Hooghly and South 24‐Parganas. Since the impact evaluation exercise typically suffers from the problem of counterfactual, in the absence of biologically identical observations proxy has been constructed in terms of pairing statistically identical observations by applying matching techniques based on propensity scores. It is observed that mere inclusion in a self‐help group is not sufficient for any woman to enjoy the benefits of better connectivity with the social capital in terms of enhanced empowerment. Here both the duration of membership and the quality of participation matter. Moreover, in terms of a comparison of the probability of inclusion in the program with the actual proportion of inclusion for subjects with the same p‐scores, the extent of program mismatch has been assessed. This indicates a bias from the supply side where the more likely agents are being included in the absence of special effort to reach out for the relatively more vulnerable ones.
Impact of routinely employed procedures for tissue processing on the proteomic analysis of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue
Authors: Bronsert Peter , Weißer Juliane , Biniossek Martin L. , Kuehs Markus , Mayer Bettina , Drendel Vanessa , Timme Sylvia , Shahinian Hasmik , Küsters Simon , Wellner Ulrich F. , Lassmann Silke , Werner Martin , Schilling Oliver
Published: June 2014

Purpose

FFPE (formalin fixed, paraffin embedded) tissue cohorts represent an enduring archive of clinical specimens. Proteomic analysis of FFPE tissues is gaining interest for the in‐depth analysis of aberrant proteome composition. Procedures for FFPE tissue processing are standardized but there is diversity regarding the different processing systems. This work focuses on three different processing methods commonly used in large European pathology institutes.

Experimental design

Formalin fixed tissue specimens of different tumors were serially sliced and processed with three different processing systems (xylene, ethanol/vacuum or microwave based). After paraffin embedding, they were subjected to MS‐based proteomic analysis to investigate the impact of tissue processing techniques on the quality of proteomic analysis. Results were compared with proteomic analysis of corresponding cryopreserved tissue specimens.

Results

All processing techniques achieved very good proteome coverage similar to the cryopreserved counterpart. Gene ontology profiles, relative protein abundances, and peptide modifications such as methionine oxidation or proteolytic truncation were highly similar for all techniques as well as for the cryopreserved samples.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

The results show that different processing procedures do not impede proteomic analysis as a robust and powerful approach for the identification of protein determinants and markers of disease processes and highlights the general robustness of FFPE‐tissue based proteomics.
Nonassociative field theory on non‐geometric spaces
Authors: Mylonas D. , Szabo R.J.
Published: June 2014

We describe quasi‐Hopf twist deformations of flat closed string compactifications with non‐geometric R‐flux using a suitable cochain twist, and construct nonassociative deformations of fields and differential calculus. We report on our new findings in using this formalism to construct perturbative nonassociative field theories on these backgrounds. We describe the modifications to the usual classification of Feynman diagrams into planar and non‐planar graphs. The example of φ4 theory is studied in detail and the one‐loop contributions to the two‐point function are calculated.
Geometry and quantum noise
Authors: Barbón J.L.F. , Rabinovici E.
Published: June 2014

We study the fine structure of long‐time quantum noise in correlation functions of AdS/CFT systems. Under standard assumptions of quantum chaos for the dynamics and the observables, we estimate the size of exponentially small oscillations and trace them back to geometrical features of the bulk system. The noise level is highly suppressed by the amount of dynamical chaos and the amount of quantum impurity in the states. This implies that, despite their missing on the details of Poincaré recurrences, ‘virtual’ thermal AdS phases do control the overall noise amplitude even at high temperatures where the thermal ensemble is dominated by large AdS black holes. We also study EPR correlations and find that, in contrast to the behavior of large correlation peaks, their noise level is the same in TFD states and in more general highly entangled states.
Synchronization analysis for nonlinear bilateral teleoperator with interval time‐varying delay
Authors: Yang Xian , Hua Changchun , Yan Jing , Guan Xinping
Published: June 2014

In this paper, we investigate synchronization problem of nonlinear teleoperator in the presence of variable time delay. Compared with previous works, we relax the restriction of the communication delay range. Although approaches to the interval time delay can be found in many literatures, they are not suitable for nonlinear teleoperator due to the properties of robotic systems. We first investigate the synchronization of teleoperation system with interval time delay and make full use of the information of both the lower and upper bounds of delay. All criteria are presented in the form of LMI, which can be easily calculated by MATLAB (MathWorks, USA). Finally, numerical example and simulation are given to show the effectiveness of the main results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bloom‐filter based IP‐CHOCK detection scheme for denial of service attacks in VANET
Authors: Verma Karan , Hasbullah Halabi
Published: June 2014

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) have drawn increasing attention in recent years due to their wide range of applications. At the present time, vehicle communication is exposed to many security threats, such as denial of service (DoS) attacks. In these attacks, a malicious node forges a large number of fake identities. Internet Protocol (IP) spoofing addresses is to disrupt the proper functioning of the fair data transfer between two fast moving vehicles. In this paper, IP spoofing addresses of DoS attacks have been detected and defended by using the Bloom‐filter based IP‐CHOCK detection method, which provides the availability of a service for the legitimate vehicles in the VANET. The IP spoofing addresses in the DoS attacks committed by fraud and malicious nodes have also been investigated. This method provides a secure communication as well as frees the bandwidth. This proposed approach requires fewer resources and is easy to deploy. Simulation results have shown that this method is efficient and effective to detect and defend against DoS attacks in the VANET. Specifically, this method provides faster detection time, lower storage capacity, and computational cost. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Imaging and hydrogen analysis by SIMS in zirconium alloy cladding: a dual ion beam approach
Authors: Mine N. , Portier S. , Martin M.
Published: June 2014

Zirconium‐based alloys are used as fuel cladding material in nuclear power plants. During the reactor operation, the material is oxidized by the water (reactor coolant), and hydrogen gas is formed. The released hydrogen gas, which partly diffuses into the zirconium alloy, forms hydrides when the hydrogen solubility limit is exceeded. This may result in blistering and cracking of the cladding – a phenomenon commonly known as hydrogen embrittlement. Both corrosion and H‐uptake phenomena are limiting factors, which can reduce the time of life of cladding under irradiation in a power plant. This study concerns a preliminary investigation of hydrogen by SIMS in a hydrogenated but not‐irradiated Zircaloy‐4 sample in order to develop a better understanding of hydrogen ingression in high burn up irradiated cladding tubes. Although hydrogen can be easily detected using the SIMS technique, any contamination source of hydrogen must be well identified and minimized during the SIMS measurements. In this work, we have analyzed a hydrogenated (135 wppm in bulk) Zircaloy‐4 cladding specimen. In the first step, the sample's surface has been presputtered with cesium ions. Thereafter, H− ions yield images have been acquired analyzing the sample with a gallium primary ion beam. Using this dual beam approach, the hydride precipitates present in the sample have been clearly identified and analyzed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Lament of the Study Abroad Director: Where Should We Start?
Authors: Highum Ann
Published: June 2014

This chapter summarizes the information shared in the sourcebook and provides a sense of how study abroad staff might further develop and improve the programs offered to their students.
Maternal venous Doppler characteristics are abnormal in pre‐eclampsia but not in gestational hypertension
Authors: Gyselaers W. , Staelens A. , Mesens T. , Tomsin K. , Oben J. , Vonck S. , Verresen L. , Molenberghs G.
Published: June 2014

Objective

To compare functional characteristics of maternal thoraco‐abdominal arteries and veins in proteinuric and non‐proteinuric hypertension in pregnancy.

Methods

This retrospective study included women with singleton pregnancies during the third trimester, which were either uncomplicated or complicated with different clinical types of hypertension: non‐proteinuric gestational hypertension (GH), early‐onset pre‐eclampsia (PE) diagnosed < 34 weeks or late‐onset PE diagnosed ≥ 34 weeks. Demographic maternal and neonatal data were recorded, together with maternal serum and urine analytes. All women underwent standardized automated blood‐pressure measurement, together with non‐invasive impedance cardiography (ICG), for measurement of cardiac output (CO), aortic flow velocity index (VI) and aortic flow acceleration index (ACI). A standardized combined Doppler–electrocardiography assessment of maternal venous hemodynamics was performed to measure renal interlobar vein impedance index (RIVI), hepatic vein impedance index (HVI) and venous pulse transit time (VPTT) in liver and kidneys. Finally, resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI) and arterial pulse transit time (APTT) were measured in the uterine arcuate arteries. Mann–Whitney U‐tests and Fisher's exact tests were used for intergroup comparisons, and linear dependence between variables was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r).

Results

A total of 150 pregnancies were evaluated: 22 with uncomplicated pregnancy, 41 GH, 31 early PE and 56 late PE. Aortic VI and ACI were lower in GH, early PE and late PE than in uncomplicated pregnancy. Both early PE and late PE differed from GH by having shorter APTT in the uterine arcuate arteries and higher RIVI. Hemodynamic abnormalities were most pronounced in early PE, during which uterine arcuate artery RI was higher and VPTT in kidneys was shorter than in late PE. There was a significant correlation between degree of proteinuria and RIVI for the left
(r = 0.381) and right (r = 0.347) kidney in late PE, but this was not true for early PE.

Conclusions

There is a gradient of worsening arterial and venous hemodynamic abnormalities from GH to late PE and then to early PE. Venous hemodynamic abnormalities are present only in PE, with a linear correlation between proteinuria and RIVI in late PE. The role of the maternal venous compartment in the pathophysiology and etiology of PE‐related symptoms may be much more important than considered at present. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Percutaneous minimally invasive fetoscopic surgery for spina bifida aperta. Part I: surgical technique and perioperative outcome
Authors: Kohl T.
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To analyze the current technical approach of percutaneous minimal‐access fetoscopic closure of spina bifida aperta (SBA) and provide an overview of its development in ovine and human fetuses.

Methods

Minimal‐access percutaneous fetoscopic closure of SBA was performed at the German Center for Fetal Surgery & Minimal‐access Therapy (DZFT) in 51 human fetuses at 21.0–29.1 weeks of gestation (mean age, 23.7 weeks). Various parameters of surgical relevance for the success and safety of the procedure and the early perioperative outcome were analyzed retrospectively. In addition, information from the early clinical cases was examined to determine how this shaped development of the approach.

Results

Percutaneous minimal‐access fetoscopic closure of SBA was performed with a high rate of technical success, regardless of placental or fetal position. All fetuses survived surgery, but there was one very early preterm delivery 1 week after the procedure and this neonate died immediately, from early postoperative chorioamnionitis. Of the 50 surviving fetuses, 44 (88%) were delivered at or beyond 30 weeks and 25 (50%) at or beyond 34 weeks of gestation. There was one neonatal death from an uinsuspected case of trisomy 13 and two infant deaths from Chiari‐II malformation.

Conclusions

Following an adequate learning curve, minimal‐access fetoscopic surgery for fetal spina bifida can be performed with a high rate of technical success, regardless of placental position. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
It is time for strategic rethinking
Authors: Panayotova Monika
Published: June 2014

It is time for Europe to undertake a major strategic rethink in the field of security and defence. The article looks at why this is the case and makes recommendations and conclusions on three key elements for EU consideration: the new challenges and the complex nature of security threats faced by the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy, the new policy environment and legal framework after 2009, and the need for a new or an updated European security strategy. The paper also shows the relevance of those recommendations and conclusions to the Ukrainian crisis.
Factores que influyen en el desarrollo exportador de las pymes en Colombia
Authors: Escandón Barbosa Diana Marcela , Hurtado Ayala Andrea
Published: June 2014

El propósito de este artículo es identificar los factores que influyen en el desarrollo exportador de las pequeñas y medianas empresas (pymes) con internacionalización temprana en Colombia. Por medio del uso de la información incluida en el Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) en su reporte para Colombia en 2010, se toman las pymes que inician su proceso de internacionalización en sus primeros años de creación, y con un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales se comprueba que variables como característicasdel emprendedor, factores internos, características del sector y del entorno, innovación y recursos y capacidades de la pyme determinan el proceso de internacionalización temprana de las pymes enColombia.
Revisión de instrumentos de evaluación de clima organizacional
Authors: Cardona Echeverri Diego Raúl , Zambrano Cruz Renato
Published: June 2014

Este artículo presenta una caracterización de diferentes  instrumentos de evaluación del clima organizacional. Para este fin se realizó un estudio de revisión sistemática de la literatura de publicaciones en los últimos 15 años en donde se encontraron 10 artículos que presentaban instrumentos de evaluación de clima organizacional. De estos artículos se realizó un análisis de las propiedades psicométricas y de las dimensiones evaluadas. Se halló que existe un grupo de 8 dimensiones que se repiten en la mayoría de los instrumentos: toma de decisiones, claridad organizacional, liderazgo, interacción social, motivación institucional, sistema de recompensas e incentivos, apertura organizacional y supervisión.
Serotonin dynamics in and around the central nervous system: Is autism solvable without fundamental insights?
Authors: Janušonis Skirmantas
Published: June 2014

Altered serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine, 5‐HT) signaling has been implicated in some developmental abnormalities of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the presumed role of 5‐HT in ASD raises new questions in fundamental neuroscience. Specifically, it is not clear if the current piecemeal approach to 5‐HT signaling in the mammalian body is effective and whether new conceptual approaches may be required. This review briefly discusses 5‐HT production and circulation in the central nervous system and outside of it, especially with regard to ASD, and proposes a more encompassing approach that questions the utility of the “neurotransmitter” concept. It then introduces the idea of a generalized 5‐HT packet that may offer insights into possible links between serotonergic varicosities and blood platelets. These approaches have theoretical significance, but they are also well positioned to advance our understanding of some long‐standing problems in autism research.
Brain metastasis: New opportunities to tackle therapeutic resistance
Authors: Seoane Joan , De Mattos-Arruda Leticia
Published: June 2014

Brain metastasis is a devastating complication of cancer with unmet therapeutic needs. The incidence of brain metastasis has been rising in cancer patients and its response to treatment is limited due to the singular characteristics of brain metastasis (i.e., blood—brain‐barrier, immune system, stroma). Despite improvements in the treatment and control of extracranial disease, the outcomes of patients with brain metastasis remain dismal. The mechanisms that allow tumor cells to promulgate metastases to the brain remain poorly understood. Further work is required to identify the molecular alterations inherent to brain metastasis in order to identify novel therapeutic targets and explicate the mechanisms of resistance to systemic therapeutics. In this article, we review current knowledge of the unique characteristics of brain metastasis, implications in therapeutic resistance, and the possibility of developing biomarkers to rationally guide the use of targeted agents.
Long noncoding RNA profiles identify five distinct molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer with clinical relevance
Authors: Chen Haoyan , Xu Jie , Hong Jie , Tang Ruqi , Zhang Xi , Fang Jing-Yuan
Published: June 2014

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease in terms of clinical behavior and response to therapy. Increasing evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are frequently aberrantly expressed in cancers, and some of them have been implicated in CRC biogenesis and prognosis. Using an lncRNA‐mining approach, we constructed lncRNAs expression profiles in approximately 888 CRC samples. By applying unsupervised consensus clustering to LncRNA expression profiles, we identified five distinct molecular subtypes of CRC with different biological pathways and phenotypically distinct in their clinical outcome in both univariate and multivariate analysis. The prognostic significance of the lncRNA‐based classifier was confirmed in independent patient cohorts. Further analysis revealed that most of the signature lncRNAs positively correlated with somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs). This lncRNAs‐based classification schema thus provides a molecular classification applicable to individual tumors that has implications to influence treatment decisions.
Geochemical interaction between the freshwater and marine hydrospheres
Authors: Gordeev V.V. , Lisitzin A.P.
Published: June 2014

The results of more than 40 years long authors’ investigations in the field of the freshwater (river input) and marine (ocean waters) hydrospheres are summarized. The latest estimations of the global average concentrations of many chemical elements in river water and suspended matter and in ocean water and suspended matter are presented. It is shown that particulate suspended forms of many elements are predominant in river waters (“rivers are the kingdom of suspended forms of elements”), while their dissolved forms prevail in ocean waters (“ocean is the kingdom of dissolved forms of elements”). Sedimentary and biogeochemical processes of the river material transformation in the river–sea mixing zone (the so-called “marginal filter of the ocean”) were studied thoroughly. It was shown that radical quantitative and qualitative changes of dissolved and particulate suspended substances take place in this zone, resulting in the governed transformation of dissolved forms into suspended particulate forms and their following deposition on the bottom. The first data on the losses of 35 chemical elements in the river–sea mixing zone are presented. These data prove that the concentrations of dissolved elements in river and ocean waters are in regular and close relationship with their losses in the river–sea mixing zone and with the types of element distribution in ocean water column (conservative, biogenic, and lithogenic). This indicates the existence of a geochemical system in the entire (freshwater and marine) hydrosphere, which calls for deep and detailed investigations.
Cretaceous paleogeography of the West Siberian sedimentary basin
Authors: Kontorovich A.E. , Ershov S.V. , Kazanenkov V.A. , Karogodin Yu.N. , Kontorovich V.A. , Lebedeva N.K. , Nikitenko B.L. , Popova N.I. , Shurygin B.N.
Published: June 2014

For paleogeographic reconstruction of the West Siberian basin during the Cretaceous we used a set of paleogeographic maps, which were compiled for the main epochs of the Cretaceous period. The paleogeographic maps presented in this study suggest progradational filling of the deep basin with avalanche-type sedimentation during Volgian–Barremian regression. The paleorelief and provenance of terrigenous sediments were reconstructed.
Sedimentology and isotope geochemistry of Riphean carbonates in the Kharaulakh Range of northern East Siberia
Authors: Khabarov E.M. , Izokh O.P.
Published: June 2014

Stable carbon isotope variations in primarily offshore Proterozoic carbonates of the Eselekh, Neleger, and Sietachan Formations in the Kharaulakh Range of northern East Siberia provide important information on the depositional history of the Riphean complexes and allow an age estimate to be made for potentially petroliferous Precambrian strata in the northeast of the Siberian Platform. The results of petrographic, geochemical, and isotopic studies of the measured samples demonstrate that the carbonates are recrystallized without substantial postdepositional alteration of the carbon isotope system and that the acquired δ13C values are accurate and can be used for the purposes of chemostratigraphy. The Riphean strata of the Kharaulakh Range are characterized by mostly high (5.5–8.6‰c) δ13C values. Based on carbon isotope data, the studied section could not be correlated with Mesoproterozoic strata of the Anabar and Olenek Uplifts but occupies a rather higher stratigraphic position. It can be correlated with the Baikal Group of the West Pre-Baikal Area and the Dal’nyaya Taiga Group of the Patom Upland; specifically, the negative shift in the uppermost Sietachan Formation possibly corresponds to the Zhuya negative excursion. Comparison with the model curve of carbon isotope evolution in the Precambrian ocean suggests that the age of the studied section does not exceed 820 Ma. Most likely, the studied strata are younger than 635 Ma (i.e., postdate the Marino glaciation) but older than the Gaskiers glaciation (580 Ma).
The effect of Meso-Cenozoic tectonic processes on the formation of Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous hydrocarbon pools in the north of the Aleksandrov arch (West Siberia)
Authors: Kontorovich V.A. , Kalinin A.Yu. , Kalinina L.M. , Solov’ev M.V.
Published: June 2014

The effect of tectonic processes on the petroleum potential of the Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous sediments is estimated by the example of the deposits in the north of the Aleksandrov arch. The formation history of the structures bearing Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous hydrocarbon (HC) pools is discussed.

The results obtained lead to the conclusion that anticlinal traps complicated by faults cutting the Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary cover are the most promising for the formation of large HC pools in Cretaceous sand reservoirs. These traps serve as channels for HC migration from the oil-producing rocks of the Bazhenovo Formation into the overlying reservoirs. In the Upper Jurassic sediments, anticlinal traps free from Cenozoic faults are the most promising for HC accumulation. These conclusions are confirmed by a number of examples.
Repeated sinomenine administration alleviates chronic neuropathic pain-like behaviours in rodents without producing tolerance
Authors: Gao Tianle , Shi Tiansheng , Wang Dan-Qiao , Wiesenfeld-Hallin Zsuzsanna , Xu Xiao-Jun
Published: June 2014

Background and aims

We have previously reported that systemic administration of sinomenine produced antinociception in various experimental pain conditions in rodents, particularly in models of neuropathic pain. In the present study we assessed the effects of repeated administration of sinomenine in two rodent models of neuropathic pain in order to study the development of tolerance.

Methods

The analgesic effect of sinomenine was tested in female Sprague-Dawley rats that exhibited mechanical and cold hypersensitivity following ischaemic injury to the spinal cord and in male C57/BL6 mice that developed mechanical hypersensitivity after ischaemic injury to the sciatic nerve. Briefly, the animals were anaesthetized and injected i.v. with the photosensitizing dye erythrosine B. Vertebral segments T12 to T13 in rats or the sciatic nerve in mice were exposed and irradiated under an argon ion laser for 10min or 45s, respectively. In rats, mechanical hypersensitivity to pressure with von Frey hairs, the response to brushing and decreasing cold temperature were tested in the flanks or upper back areas. In mice, mechanical hypersensitivity on the hind paw to von Frey hairs and response to cold following a drop of acetone were measured. Sinomenine was administered i.p. in rats and p.o. in mice at 10:00 and 16:00, twice a day for 5 days. Response threshold before and 2h after drug administration at 10.00h was recorded.

Results

Repeated administration of sinomenine at 10 or 20mg/kg twice a day, doses that have no analgesic effect as single injection, alleviated mechanical, but not cold allodynia in spinally injured rats and the effect was maintained during the 5 day treatment period with no signs of tolerance. Furthermore, the pre-drug response threshold was significantly elevated during repeated treatment with 20mg/kg sinomenine. Sinomenine administered at 40mg/kg twice a day for 5 days significantly reduced mechanical and cold alldoynia, elevated pre-drug response threshold without tolerance development in spinally injured rats. Similarly, sinomenine at 80mg/kg twice a day for 5 days significantly reduced mechanical allodynia in mice with sciatic nerve injury and increased pre-drug response threshold with no sign of tolerance. The effect of sinomenine on response threshold persisted for days after termination of the 5 day drug administration.

Conclusions

The results suggest that repeated administration of simomenine produced an enhanced anti-allodynic effect without tolerance in rodent models of neuropathic pain.

Implications

Sinomenine may be tested as a novel analgesic in treating some forms of chronic neuropathic pain in patients.
Preclinical and clinical research on bone and cartilage regenerative medicine in oral and maxillofacial region
Authors: Takato Tsuyoshi , Mori Yoshiyuki , Fujihara Yuko , Asawa Yukiyo , Nishizawa Satoru , Kanazawa Sanshiro , Ogasawara Toru , Saijo Hideto , Abe Takahiro , Abe Masanobu , Suenaga Hideyuki , Kanno Yuki , Sugiyama Madoka , Hoshi Kazuto
Published: June 2014

Recently, there have been remarkable advances in regenerative medicine, and almost all disorders of the oral and maxillofacial region could be research targets of regenerative medicine. Meanwhile, treatment in this region has been well established using biomaterials, prostheses, and microsurgery. Therefore, to surpass such a conventional approach as an alternative, regenerative medicine should take an approach of being less invasive and/or more effective. In this report, we present our preclinical and clinical research on bone and cartilage regenerative medicine in the oral and maxillofacial region.

Regarding bone regenerative medicine, we have tried to develop artificial bone that would maximize bone formation at the transplanted site, but would subsequently be replaced by autologous bone. We have made custom‐made artificial bone (CT‐Bone) using alpha‐tricalcium phosphate (α‐TCP) particles and an ink‐jet printer, and have conducted clinical research and trials on 30 patients.

To develop tissue‐engineered cartilage with proper three‐dimensional (3D) morphological form and mechanical strength, we have optimized the culture medium of chondrocytes and the scaffold. Following a preclinical study confirming efficacy and safety, we have conducted clinical research in three patients with nasal deformity associated with cleft lip and palate, and are now starting multicenter clinical research.
The Economy of the Temples of God in the Turmoil of Changing Russia
Authors: Tocheva Detelina
Published: June 2014

The liberalisation of religious practice after the fall of the Soviet regime and the support by the Russian state to the Russian Orthodox Church have contributed to the enormous growth of the church economy. Controversies within and without the Church interrogate commercial and gifting practices. The relationship between the expansion of church commerce and the operation of moral boundaries, underlined by critical stances, has been determined by culture and history, with the post-Soviet transformation having played a key role in shaping popular notions of selflessness and profit-seeking. Moreover, as people participate in the church economy they mobilise perceptions of the differential moral valence of gift and commerce in order to communicate concerning the power of the Church, its controversial image, Russia’s social stratification, and to deploy ethics of equity and honesty.
Coming Hard: The Primacy of Embodied Stress Responses in High Poverty Schools
Authors: Paulle Bowen
Published: June 2014

Informed by nearly six years of teaching experiences in high poverty schools of New York and Amsterdam, this ethnographic comparison examines the following question: Even though they often say they “know better”, why do so many teens from low income neighborhoods behave in aggressively disruptive ways that contribute to the further destruction of their own schools? This article suggests that the long dominant oppositional black culture approach to such questions related to life in distressed urban schools promotes overly mentalist and therefore superficial analyses. A more fully incarnated, collectively impassioned, relational, and processual way of thinking about the gradual socialization and immediate coping processes behind the further devastating of physically violent schools is offered. Interrogating the state and process that students in both settings referred to with terms like “coming hard”, this article brings to life the temporarily seductive yet ultimately maladaptiveembodied stress responsesof two male students effectively forced to sever visceral connections to themselves. Probing deep into how hardening was both habituated and situated on opposite shores of the Atlantic Ocean can help us advance our grip on—and perhaps even our attempts to deal with—the ways in which teenagers’ feelings of empathy and abilities to “think straight” are crowded out during the moments that matter most in and around our worst schools.
Understanding Xenophobia in Greece: A Correspondence Analysis
Authors: Chtouris Sotiris , Zissi Anastasia , Stalidis George , Rontos Kostas
Published: June 2014

Studies of xenophobia have focused either on socio-economic context that accentuates xenophobic attitudes or on perceptions of immigrants, namely symbolic and realistic threats as well as on social distance from immigrants. This study examines closely the relationship among various components of xenophobia and their contribution in the formation of particular xenophobic groups. The analysis identified four different xenophobic groups, i.e. a) The distant xenophobic group, b) The core xenophobic group, c) The subtle xenophobic group and d) The ambivalent xenophobic group. The groups’ profiles are synthesized through negative, neutral and positive properties of overall attitudes towards immigrants, perceived threats, political xenophobia, social distance, authoritarian attitudes and individual social characteristics. The survey results demonstrate that a multidimensional conceptualization of xenophobia is needed both at the level of objective social condition and of individual and collective perceptions.
A short food-group-based dietary questionnaire is reliable and valid for assessing toddlers' dietary risk in relatively advantaged samples
Authors: Bell Lucinda K. , Golley Rebecca K. , Magarey Anthea M.
Published: June 2014

Identifying toddlers at dietary risk is crucial for determining who requires intervention to improve dietary patterns and reduce health consequences. The objectives of the present study were to develop a simple tool that assesses toddlers' dietary risk and investigate its reliability and validity. The nineteen-item Toddler Dietary Questionnaire (TDQ) is informed by dietary patterns observed in Australian children aged 14 (n552) and 24 (n493) months and the Australian dietary guidelines. It assesses the intake of ‘core’ food groups (e.g. fruit, vegetables and dairy products) and ‘non-core’ food groups (e.g. high-fat, high-sugar and/or high-salt foods and sweetened beverages) over the previous 7 d, which is then scored against a dietary risk criterion (0–100; higher score = higher risk). Parents of toddlers aged 12–36 months (Socio-Economic Index for Areas decile range 5–9) were asked to complete the TDQ for their child (n111) on two occasions, 3·2 (sd1·8) weeks apart, to assess test–retest reliability. They were also asked to complete a validated FFQ from which the risk score was calculated and compared with the TDQ-derived risk score (relative validity). Mean scores were highly correlated and not significantly different for reliability (intra-class correlation = 0·90, TDQ1 30·2 (sd8·6)v. TDQ2 30·9 (sd8·9);P= 0·14) and validity (r0·83, average TDQ ((TDQ1+TDQ2)/2) 30·5 (sd8·4)v. FFQ 31·4 (sd8·1);P= 0·05). All the participants were classified into the same (reliability 75 %; validity 79 %) or adjacent (reliability 25 %; validity 21 %) risk category (low (0–24), moderate (25–49), high (50–74) and very high (75–100)). Overall, the TDQ is a valid and reliable screening tool for identifying at-risk toddlers in relatively advantaged samples.
Post-traumatic growth among veterans in the USA: results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study
Authors: Tsai J. , El-Gabalawy R. , Sledge W. H. , Southwick S. M. , Pietrzak R. H.
Published: June 2014

Background

There is increasing recognition that, in addition to negative psychological consequences of trauma such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), some individuals may develop post-traumatic growth (PTG) following such experiences. To date, however, data regarding the prevalence, correlates and functional significance of PTG in population-based samples are lacking.

Method

Data were analysed from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, a contemporary, nationally representative survey of 3157 US veterans. Veterans completed a survey containing measures of sociodemographic, military, health and psychosocial characteristics, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form.

Results

We found that 50.1% of all veterans and 72.0% of veterans who screened positive for PTSD reported at least ‘moderate’ PTG in relation to their worst traumatic event. An inverted U-shaped relationship was found to best explain the relationship between PTSD symptoms and PTG. Among veterans with PTSD, those with PTSD reported better mental functioning and general health than those without PTG. Experiencing a life-threatening illness or injury and re-experiencing symptoms were most strongly associated with PTG. In multivariable analysis, greater social connectedness, intrinsic religiosity and purpose in life were independently associated with greater PTG.

Conclusions

PTG is prevalent among US veterans, particularly among those who screen positive for PTSD. These results suggest that there may be a ‘positive legacy’ of trauma that has functional significance for veterans. They further suggest that interventions geared toward helping trauma-exposed US veterans process their re-experiencing symptoms, and to develop greater social connections, sense of purpose and intrinsic religiosity may help promote PTG in this population.
MY REMINISCENCES OF TRYGVE HAAVELMO AT THE COWLES COMMISSION
Authors: Anderson T.W.
Published: June 2014

Trygve Haavelmo and the author were colleagues at the Cowles Commission for Research in Economics during the academic year 1945–46. The econometric analysis of simultaneous equation models and its uses in economic analysis were explored.
Risk factors associated with sporadic salmonellosis in children: a case-control study in Lower Saxony, Germany, 2008–2011
Authors: ZIEHM D. , RETTENBACHER-RIEFLER S. , KREIENBROCK L. , CAMPE A. , PULZ M. , DREESMAN J.
Published: June 2014

We conducted a case-control study based on 884 laboratory-confirmed sporadicSalmonellacases reported to the German infectious disease notification system. For controls, we recruited 510 rotavirus cases via the same system. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed separately for children aged 0–3 years and 4–14 years. In both age groups, the highest odds ratios (OR) were found for raw ground pork consumption [0–3 years: OR 8·6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·4–30·8; 4–14 years: OR 4·5, 95% CI 1·1–19]. Further risk factors were exposure to animals (OR 1·6, 95% CI 1·1–2·1), consumption of poultry (OR 1·5, 95% CI 1·1–2·1), food items containing eggs (OR 1·5, 95% CI 1·1–2) and black pepper (OR 1·7, 95% CI 1·1–3·5) in children aged 0–3 years, and consumption of uncooked pork sausage (OR 3·6, 95% CI 1·4–9·3) in children aged 4–14 years. This study highlights the significance of raw pork products (‘Mett’ in German) as risk factors for sporadic salmonellosis in children in Germany.
Medical Ethics and New Public Management in Sweden
Authors: HANSSON SVEN OVE
Published: June 2014

In order to shorten queues to healthcare, the Swedish government has introduced a yearly “queue billion” that is paid out to the county councils in proportion to how successful they are in reducing queues. However, only the queues for first visits are covered. Evidence has accumulated that queues for return visits have become longer. This affects the chronically and severely ill. Swedish physicians, and the Swedish Medical Association, have strongly criticized the queue billion and have claimed that it conflicts with medical ethics. Instead they demand that their professional judgments on priority setting and medical urgency be respected. This discussion provides an interesting illustration of some of the limitations of new public management and also more generally of the complicated relationships between medical ethics and public policy.