bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuropathic Pain Components in Patients with Cancer: Prevalence, Treatment, and Interference with Daily Activities
Authors: Oosterling Anne , te Boveldt Nienke , Verhagen Constans , van der Graaf Winette T. , Van Ham Maaike , Van der Drift Miep , Vissers Kris , Engels Yvonne
Published: April 2015

Background

Pain and neuropathic symptoms impact quality of life of patients with cancer. To obtain more insight in the prevalence, severity, and treatment of neuropathic symptoms in patients with cancer and their interference with daily activities, we conducted a cross‐sectional study at the outpatient clinic of a Dutch university hospital.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study among outpatients with cancer. To identify pain, its intensity, quality, and interference with daily activities, the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) was used. Neuropathic symptoms were identified with the Douleur Neuropathique (DN4) interview and pain characteristics with the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). Pain medication and adjuvant analgesics were also collected with a prestructured questionnaire. Descriptives, chi‐squared tests, t‐tests, and a logistic regression analysis were conducted.

Results

892 patients completed the questionnaires. Twenty‐three percent (n = 204) reported moderate to severe pain, and 19% (n = 170) scored positive on neuropathic symptoms (DN4 ≥ 3). Particularly in patients with a rating on a numeric rating scale (NRS) < 5, existence of neuropathic symptoms significantly increased interference with daily activities. Of patients with neuropathic symptoms, 8% received adjuvant pain treatment. Receiving curative treatment, using a systemic drug with neurotoxicity, having had an operation, and having had a lymph node dissection independently contributed to having neuropathic symptoms.

Conclusions

This study shows that over 40% of the patients with moderate to severe pain also have neuropathic symptoms, causing increased interference with daily activities. Most of these patients do not receive adjuvant analgesics. There is a need to improve management of neuropathic symptoms in patients with cancer.
Pain and Personality: Do Individuals with Different Forms of Chronic Pain Exhibit a Mutual Personality?
Authors: Gustin Sylvia M. , Burke Lucinda A. , Peck Chris C. , Murray Greg M. , Henderson Luke A.
Published: April 2015

The role of personality in the experience of chronic pain is a growing field, with endless debate regarding the existence of a “pain personality”. This study aims to compare different chronic pain types and consolidate the existence of a common personality. Thirty‐two females with chronic orofacial pain and 37 age‐matched healthy females were assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory‐Revised. Chronic pain subjects had either trigeminal neuropathy (neuropathic pain) or temporomandibular disorders (nociceptive pain). This study revealed that individuals with different chronic pain types exhibit a mutual personality profile encompassing significantly higher scores in Harm Avoidance and significantly lower scores in Self‐Directedness when compared to healthy subjects. In fact, this combination is associated with Cluster C personality disorders. In conclusion, our study reveals that irrespective of type, chronic pain may be associated with Cluster C personality disorders. Indeed, there has never been empirical evidence in the past to suggest that chronic pain as an overall concept is associated with any particular personality disorders. Therefore, a potential future avenue of chronic pain treatment may lie in targeting particular personality aspects and shift the target of pain‐relieving treatments from sensory and psychologically state focused to psychologically trait focused.
A SNP‐based consensus genetic map for synteny‐based trait targeting in faba bean (Vicia faba L.)
Authors: Webb Anne , Cottage Amanda , Wood Thomas , Khamassi Khalil , Hobbs Douglas , Gostkiewicz Krystyna , White Mark , Khazaei Hamid , Ali Mohamed , Street Daniel , Duc Gérard , Stoddard Fred L. , Maalouf Fouad , Ogbonnaya Francis C. , Link Wolfgang , Thomas Jane , O'Sullivan Donal M
Published: April 2015

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a globally important nitrogen‐fixing legume, which is widely grown in a diverse range of environments. In this work, we mine and validate a set of 845 SNPs from the aligned transcriptomes of two contrasting inbred lines. Each V. faba SNP is assigned by BLAST analysis to a single Medicago orthologue. This set of syntenically anchored polymorphisms were then validated as individual KASP assays, classified according to their informativeness and performance on a panel of 37 inbred lines, and the best performing 757 markers used to genotype six mapping populations. The six resulting linkage maps were merged into a single consensus map on which 687 SNPs were placed on six linkage groups, each presumed to correspond to one of the six V. faba chromosomes. This sequence‐based consensus map was used to explore synteny with the most closely related crop species, lentil and the most closely related fully sequenced genome, Medicago. Large tracts of uninterrupted colinearity were found between faba bean and Medicago, making it relatively straightforward to predict gene content and order in mapped genetic interval. As a demonstration of this, we mapped a flower colour gene to a 2‐cM interval of Vf chromosome 2 which was highly colinear with Mt3. The obvious candidate gene from 78 gene models in the collinear Medicago chromosome segment was the previously characterized MtWD40‐1 gene controlling anthocyanin production in Medicago and resequencing of the Vf orthologue showed a putative causative deletion of the entire 5′ end of the gene.
Co‐expression of NCED and ALO improves vitamin C level and tolerance to drought and chilling in transgenic tobacco and stylo plants
Authors: Bao Gegen , Zhuo Chunliu , Qian Chunmei , Xiao Ting , Guo Zhenfei , Lu Shaoyun
Published: April 2015

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates plant adaptive responses to various environmental stresses, while l‐ascorbic acid (AsA) that is also named vitamin C is an important antioxidant and involves in plant stress tolerance and the immune system in domestic animals. Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and stylo [Stylosanthes guianensis (Aublet) Swartz], a forage legume, plants co‐expressing stylo 9‐cis‐epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (SgNCED1) and yeast d‐arabinono‐1,4‐lactone oxidase (ALO) genes were generated in this study, and tolerance to drought and chilling was analysed in comparison with transgenic tobacco overexpressing SgNCED1 or ALO and the wild‐type plants. Compared to the SgNCED1 or ALO transgenic plants, in which only ABA or AsA levels were increased, both ABA and AsA levels were increased in transgenic tobacco and stylo plants co‐expressing SgNCED1 and ALO genes. Compared to the wild type, an enhanced drought tolerance was observed in SgNCED1 transgenic tobacco plants with induced expression of drought‐responsive genes, but not in ALO plants, while an enhanced chilling tolerance was observed in ALO transgenic tobaccos with induced expression of cold‐responsive genes, but not in SgNCED1 plants. Co‐expression of SgNCED1 and ALO genes resulted in elevated tolerance to both drought and chilling in transgenic tobacco and stylo plants with induced expression of both drought and cold‐responsive genes. Our result suggests that co‐expression of SgNCED1 and ALO genes is an effective way for use in forage plant improvement for increased tolerance to drought and chilling and nutrition quality.
What's So Egalitarian About Luck Egalitarianism?
Authors: Segall Shlomi
Published: April 2015

Luck egalitarians typically hold that it is bad for some to be worse off than others through no fault or choice of their own. In this paper I want to address two complaints against standard luck egalitarianism that do not question responsibility‐sensitivity (or ‘luck‐ism’). The first objection says that equality itself lacks inherent non‐instrumental value, and so the luckist component ought to be attached to a different pattern, say prioritarianism (thus producing ‘luck‐prioritarianism’). The second objection also endorses luckism but worries that luck egalitarianism as conventionally formulated is committed in fact to neutralizing not just brute luck but also option luck. And this would mean, among other things, compensating unsuccessful gamblers, which is something many egalitarians find counterintuitive. My aim is to show that there is a way for luck egalitarianism to meet both criticisms; that it can maintain its egalitarian credentials while avoiding the counterintuitive consequences of compensating unsuccessful gamblers. To do so, I propose, we ought to understand luck egalitarianism as resting on the disvalue of being arbitrarily worse off compared to others. In addition, I suggest, the badness of luck egalitarian inequality – that of arbitrary disadvantage – has both an inter‐personal and an intra‐personal dimension.
Infrasonic and low-frequency insert earphone hearing threshold
Authors: Kuehler Robert , Fedtke Thomas , Hensel Johannes
Published: April 2015

Low-frequency and infrasonic pure-tone monaural hearing threshold data down to 2.5 Hz are presented. These measurements were made by means of a newly developed insert-earphone source. The source is able to generate pure-tone sound pressure levels up to 130 dB between 2 and 250 Hz with very low harmonic distortions. Behavioral hearing thresholds were determined in the frequency range from 2.5 to 125 Hz for 18 otologically normal test persons. The median hearing thresholds are comparable to values given in the literature. They are intended for stimulus calibration in subsequent brain imaging investigations.
Overlapping Functions between
SWR1
Deletion and H3K56 Acetylation in Candida albicans
Authors: Guan Zhiyun , Liu Haoping
Published: April 2015

Nucleosome destabilization by histone variants and modifications has been implicated in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression, with the histone variant H2A.Z and acetylation of H3K56 (H3K56ac) being two examples. Here we find that deletion of
SWR1
, the major subunit of the SWR1 complex depositing H2A.Z into chromatin in exchange for H2A, promotes epigenetic white-opaque switching in
Candida albicans
. We demonstrate through nucleosome mapping that SWR1 is required for proper nucleosome positioning on the promoter of
WOR1
, the master regulator of switching, and that its effects differ in white and opaque cells. Furthermore, we find that H2A.Z is enriched adjacent to nucleosome-free regions at the
WOR1
promoter in white cells, suggesting a role in the stabilization of a repressive chromatin state. Deletion of
YNG2
, a subunit of the NuA4 H4 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) that targets SWR1 activity through histone acetylation, produces a switching phenotype similar to that of
swr1
, and both may act downstream of the GlcNAc signaling pathway. We further uncovered a genetic interaction between
swr1
and elevated H3K56ac with the discovery that the
swr1
deletion mutant is highly sensitive to nicotinamide. Our results suggest that the interaction of H2A.Z and H3K56ac regulates epigenetic switching at the nucleosome level, as well as having global effects.
Clinical prediction of incident heart failure risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Hong , Negishi Kazuaki , Otahal Petr , Marwick Thomas H
Published: April 2015

Background

Early treatment may alter progression to overt heart failure (HF) in asymptomatic individuals with stage B HF (SBHF). However, the identification of patients with SBHF is difficult. This systematic review sought to examine the strength of association of clinical factors with incident HF, with the intention of facilitating selection for HF screening.

Methods

Electronic databases were systematically searched for studies reporting risk factors for incident HF. Effect sizes, typically HRs, of each risk variable were extracted. Pooled crude and adjusted HRs with 95% CIs were computed for each risk variable using a random-effects model weighted by inverse variance.

Results

Twenty-seven clinical factors were identified to be associated with risk of incident HF in 15 observational studies in unselected community populations which followed 456 850 participants over 4–29 years. The strongest independent associations for incident HF were coronary artery disease (HR=2.94; 95% CI 1.36 to 6.33), diabetes mellitus (HR=2.00; 95% CI 1.68 to 2.38), age (HR (per 10 years)=1.80; 95% CI 1.13 to 2.87) followed by hypertension (HR=1.61; 95% CI 1.33 to 1.96), smoking (HR=1.60; 95% CI 1.45 to 1.77), male gender (HR=1.52; 95% CI 1.24 to 1.87) and body mass index (HR (per 5 kg/m2)=1.15; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.25). Atrial fibrillation (HR=1.88; 95% CI 1.60 to 2.21), left ventricular hypertrophy (HR=2.46; 95% CI 1.71 to 3.53) and valvular heart disease (HR=1.74; 95% CI 1.07 to 2.84) were also strongly associated with incident HF but were not examined in sufficient papers to provide pooled hazard estimates.

Conclusions

Prediction of incident HF can be calculated from seven common clinical variables. The risk associated with these may guide strategies for the identification of high-risk people who may benefit from further evaluation and intervention.
Complexity of Approximating Functions on Real-Life Computers
Authors: Ryabko Boris
Published: April 2015

We address the problem of estimating the computation time necessary to approximate a function on a real computer. Our approach gives a possibility to estimate the minimal time needed to compute a function up to the specified level of error. This can be explained by the following example. Consider the space of functions defined on [0,1] whose absolute value and the first derivative are bounded by C. In a certain sense, for almost every such function, approximating it on its domain using an Intel x86 computer, with an error not greater than ε, takes at least k(C, ε) seconds. Here we show how to find k(C, ε).
Minimal supersymmetric standard model with gauged baryon and lepton numbers
Authors: Fornal Bartosz
Published: April 2015

A simple extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model in which baryon and lepton numbers are local gauge symmetries spontaneously broken at the supersymmetry scale is reported. This theory provides a natural explanation for proton stability. Despite violating R-parity, it contains a dark matter candidate carrying baryon number that can be searched for in direct detection experiments. The model accommodates a light active neutrino spectrum and predicts one heavy and two light sterile neutrinos. It also allows for lepton number violating processes testable at the Large Hadron Collider.
A Switching Control Strategy for Energy Efficient Walking on Uneven Surfaces
Authors: Wang Zidong , Yan Gangfeng , Lin Zhiyun , Tang Chong , Song Sumian
Published: April 2015

This paper studies the problem of achieving an energy efficient walking on an uneven surface for a compass-like biped robot with flat feet. To this end, reference walking gaits, which consist of two phases including the static foot phase and the foot rotation phase, are designed on several typical slopes via minimizing the dimensionless specific mechanical cost of transport. Moreover, for other slopes, a simple transformation method is proposed to generate interim reference walking gaits from the reference ones on those typical slopes. Then an input–output feedback linearization approach is considered to design a tracking control law in the static foot phase and a time-scaling approach is adopted to construct a tracking control law in the foot rotation phase as the dynamics in this phase is underactuated. By switching the control law at different phases and switching the reference walking gaits on different slopes, a compass-like robot can achieve energy efficient walking on uneven surfaces. The validity of our method is illustrated by numerical simulations.
Multivariate Analysis of Damage Events in a Polymer Composite
Authors: Fan Ming , Wayne Steven F. , Qi Gang
Published: April 2015

Our prior studies of polymer composites subjected to stress have shown that a statistical distribution of acoustic emission damage events occur in multiscale and include several damage modes. Various multiscale modeling and simulation methods have been developed by others to obtain constitutive equations, which were used to link the variables between microscopic and macroscopic scales of continuum. Very limited experimental work exists to reveal physical evidence on the multiscale damage modes, and their relationship and consequential influence on performance of materials. This paper reports an innovative approach that experimentally evidences the response of damage events in different scales to the applied stress. It shows that a strong correlation exists between multiscale damage modes, and that ensemble-normalized entropy and physical evidence can be qualitatively and quantitatively used to integrate related damage modes at different scales.
Differential Validity and Differential Prediction of Cognitive Ability Tests: Understanding Test Bias in the Employment Context
Authors: Berry Christopher M.
Published: April 2015

Substantial mean score differences and significant adverse impact have long motivated the question of whether cognitive ability tests are biased against certain non-White subgroups. This article presents a framework for understanding the interrelated issues of adverse impact and test bias, with particular focus on two forms of test bias especially relevant for personnel selection: differential validity and differential prediction. Ethical and legal reasons that organizations should be concerned about differential validity/prediction are discussed. This article also serves as a critical review of the research literature on differential validity/prediction. The general conclusion is that available evidence supports the existence of differential validity/prediction in the form of correlation/slope and intercept differences between White and non-White subgroups. Implications for individuals and organizations are outlined, and a future research agenda is proposed highlighting the need for new, better data; new, better methods of testing for differential validity/prediction; and investigation of substantive factors causing differential validity/prediction.
The Modeling and Assessment of Work Performance
Authors: Campbell John P. , Wiernik Brenton M.
Published: April 2015

Individual work role performance drives the entire economy. It is organizational psychology and organizational behavior’s (OP/OB’s) most crucial dependent variable. In this review, alternative specifications for the definition and latent structure of individual performance are reviewed and summarized. Setting aside differences in terminology, the alternatives are remarkably similar. The Campbell (2012) model is offered as a synthesized description of the content of the latent structure. Issues pertaining to performance dynamics are then reviewed, along with the role played by individual adaptability to changing performance requirements. Using the synthesized model of the latent content structure and dynamics of performance as a backdrop, issues pertaining to the assessment of performance are summarized. The alternative goals of performance assessment, general measurement issues, and the construct validity of specific methods (e.g., ratings, simulations) are reviewed and described. Cross-cultural issues and future research needs are noted.
Sympathoexcitation in ANG II-salt hypertension involves reduced SK channel function in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus
Authors: Larson Robert A. , Gui Le , Huber Michael J. , Chapp Andrew D. , Zhu Jianhua , LaGrange Lila P. , Shan Zhiying , Chen Qing-Hui
Published: April 2015

Hypertension (HTN) resulting from subcutaneous infusion of ANG II and dietary high salt (HS) intake involves sympathoexcitation. Recently, we reported reduced small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) current and increased excitability of presympathetic neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in ANG II-salt HTN. Here, we hypothesized that ANG II-salt HTN would be accompanied by altered PVN SK channel activity, which may contribute to sympathoexcitation in vivo. In anesthetized rats with normal salt (NS) intake, bilateral PVN microinjection of apamin (12.5 pmol/50 nl each), the SK channel blocker, remarkably elevated splanchnic sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA), renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), and mean arterial pressure (MAP). In contrast, rats with ANG II-salt HTN demonstrated significantly attenuated SSNA, RSNA, and MAP ( P < 0.05) responses to PVN-injected apamin compared with NS control rats. Next, we sought to examine the individual contributions of HS and subcutaneous infusion of ANG II on PVN SK channel function. SSNA, RSNA, and MAP responses to PVN-injected apamin in rats with HS alone were significantly attenuated compared with NS-fed rats. In contrast, sympathetic nerve activity responses to PVN-injected apamin in ANG II-treated rats were slightly attenuated with SSNA, demonstrating no statistical difference compared with NS-fed rats, whereas MAP responses to PVN-injected apamin were similar to NS-fed rats. Finally, Western blot analysis showed no statistical difference in SK1–SK3 expression in the PVN between NS and ANG II-salt HTN. We conclude that reduced SK channel function in the PVN is involved in the sympathoexcitation associated with ANG II-salt HTN. Dietary HS may play a dominant role in reducing SK channel function, thus contributing to sympathoexcitation in ANG II-salt HTN.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Somatostatin Analogues in the Prevention of Postoperative Complication after Pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: Jin Kaizhou , Zhou Haiyang , Zhang Jian , Wang Weijun , Sun Yanping , Ruan Canping , Hu Zhiqian , Wang Yi
Published: April 2015

Background: The use of somatostatin analogues (SAs) following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is controversial. Method: Literature databases were searched systematically for relevant articles. A meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating prophylactic SAs in PD was performed. Results: Fifteen RCTs involving 1,352 patients were included. There was a towards reduced incidences of pancreatic fistulas (p = 0.26), clinically significant pancreatic fistulas (p = 0.08), and bleeding (p = 0.05) in prophylactic SAs group. In subgroup analyses, prophylactic somatostatin significantly reduced the incidence of pancreatic fistulas (p = 0.02), with a nonsignificant trend toward reduced incidence of clinically significantly pancreatic fistulas (p = 0.06). Pasireotide significantly reduced the incidence of clinically significantly pancreatic fistulas (p = 0.03). Octreotide had no influence on the incidence of pancreatic fistulas. Conclusion: The current best evidence suggests prophylactic treatment with somatostatin or pasireotide has a potential role in reducing the incidence of pancreatic fistulas, while octreotide had no influence on the incidence of pancreatic fistulas. High-quality RCTs assessing the role of somatostatin and pasireotide are required for further verification.
Topografia dos vasos sanguíneos arteriais e venosos nos rins de Cavalos Puro Sangue Inglês
Authors: Barros Paulo Sérgio De Moraes , Souza Wilson Machado de , Rodrigues Rosangela Felipe , Guimarães Juliana Plácido , Miglino Maria Angélica , Borelli Vicente
Published: April 2015

As doenças renais em equinos, geralmente estão associadas a problemas respiratórios e digestórios, entretanto não são frequentes as intervenções cirúrgicas neste órgão para estes animais. O estudo dos vasos sanguíneos relativos aos rins nos animais domésticos e selvagens é de fundamental importância para o entendimento de diversos aspectos de sua fisiologia e nutrição. Neste trabalho, foram utilizados 30 pares de rins de equinos Puro Sangue Inglês, dos quais 15 machos e 15 fêmeas, de diferentes faixas etárias, provenientes de doação do Jockey Club de São Paulo. Durante a necropsia dos animais, os rins unidos por meio de suas artérias e veias renais foram retirados em bloco. Em seguida, foram fixados em solução de formol a 10%, por aproximadamente 48h, para a dissecação e individualização dos componentes dos pedículos renais. Para a análise dos resultados foram demarcados os quadrantes cranioventral, craniodorsal, caudoventral e caudodorsal, com duas linhas uma craniocaudal e a outra dorsoventral. Os resultados obtidos revelaram que: os ramos arteriais da região hilar são observados no rim direito em número de dois em 50%, no esquerdo em número de dois (33,3%), os ramos arteriais na região justahilar são computados no rim direito em número de quatro a cinco em 20% e no rim esquerdo em número de seis (16,7%), e nos ramos dispostos na região extrahilar são registrados no rim direito em número de três (26,7%) e no esquerdo em número de três (20%).
O idoso e o direito à segurança social em Portugal
Authors: Carvalho Ana Sofia de Magalhães e
Published: April 2015

É possível encontrar no constitucionalismo português preocupações e realizações sociais já na época liberal e no Estado Novo. No entanto, a Constituição de 1976 é a primeira das Constituições Portuguesas que emprega o termo Segurança Social.
 O Sistema de Segurança Social Português sofreu várias evoluções até chegarmos à Segurança Social de hoje. Em termos de cobertura social na terceira idade é costume referirem-se as pensões de velhice e as pensões de sobrevivência.
 Por vários motivos, sobretudo o demográfico, o equilíbrio financeiro da Segurança Social está ameaçado, por isso tem-se levantado em vários fóruns a questão da redução do montante das pensões já atribuídas, sendo que tal redução poderá pôr em causa o princípio do não retrocesso social/ o princípio da proteção da confiança. Com efeito, no âmbito do regime jurídico dos direitos económicos, sociais e culturais, como é o caso do direito à segurança social, encontramos a não reversibilidade social que determina que, uma vez consagradas legalmente as prestações sociais, o legislador não pode depois eliminá-las sem alternativas ou compensações.
 Por outro lado, dado o desequilíbrio financeiro, a transferência de algumas das funções do Estado em matéria social quer para o setor privado quer para o chamado «Terceiro Setor» constitui um novo desafio para o mesmo, que em vez de prestador de serviços aparece como regulador. No entanto, nesta matéria, é preciso cautela, pois os indivíduos podem ser expostos a níveis inaceitáveis de risco económico, ficando à mercê dos riscos inerentes aos mercados de capital.
Quem habita a dignidade humana? A fundamentação kantiana
Authors: Granato Marcelo de Azevedo
Published: April 2015

O artigo examina o conceito kantiano de dignidade humana com base na Fundamentação da metafísica dos costumes (1785), em particular, o papel da autonomia da vontade na fundamentação da dignidade. O ponto de partida desse exame é a liberdade transcendental de que trata a Crítica da razão pura (edição de 1787), seguindo-se a análise de alguns elementos da teoria moral kantiana, notadamente o imperativo categórico, em duas de suas formulações, e o conceito de dignidade humana. A relação entre dignidade, racionalidade e autonomia (enquanto autolegislação, conforme à moral kantiana) constitui o objetivo do artigo, que se concluirá com breves comentários sobre algumas dificuldades que tal relação suscita.
Eram os juízes mengerianos? A concepção de moeda no debate jurídico
Authors: Ricken Guilherme
Published: April 2015

O presente artigo tem por escopo apresentar as concepções de moeda subjacentes às decisões da Suprema Corte norte-americana nos Legal Tender Cases. Assim, serão delineados, primeiramente, os conceitos privado e público de moeda, para posterior cotejo com os julgados da Suprema Corte. Dessa forma, busca-se mostrar como a adoção de um ou de outro conceito influiu nas decisões sobre a constitucionalidade da legislação que introduziu o papel-moeda de curso forçado nos Estados Unidos.
Responsabilidade civil do segurador
Authors: Souza Bárbara Bassani de
Published: April 2015

O presente artigo objetiva salientar algumas das principais problemáticas relacionadas à responsabilidade civil do segurador que são levadas para o âmbito judiciário, tais como o dolo e a má-fé do segurado, hipóteses de agravamento do risco, pagamento direto da indenização a terceiro no seguro de responsabilidade civil facultativo e suicídio nos seguros de vida.
Princípios processuais no direito administrativo sancionador: um estudo à luz das garantias constitucionais
Authors: Guardia Gregório Edoardo Raphael Selingardi
Published: April 2015

A partir do exame das origens do Direito Administrativo Sancionador e da busca por elementos que aclarem a zona de penumbra entre o Direito Penal e o Direito Administrativo, o presente artigo analisa, à luz das garantias constitucionais, os princípios processuais que regem a matéria.
A transformação da paisagem, desenho e forma urbana: o PEU das Vargens e as questões iniciais
Authors: Cardeman Rogério Coldfeld
Published: April 2015

Este artigo tem como objetivo contextualizar, no âmbito da pesquisa de doutorado, o Projeto de Estruturação Urbana (PEU) da região conhecida como Vargens, na zona oeste da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Através do histórico da região e da análise do Plano Urbanístico Básico de 1977, levantam-se as primeiras questões sobre sua iminente aplicação, a partir de sua promulgação, em 2009, pelos agentes imobiliários atraídos pela proximidade com a área onde será implantada parte dos equipamentos olímpicos para os jogos de 2016. Discute-se também a influência na transformação do espaço urbano e no sistema de espaços livres da região.
Sete novas cidades de Mato Grosso
Authors: Barcellos Vicente
Published: April 2015

O presente artigo tem como foco o estudo de sete novas cidades surgidas em Mato Grosso a partir da década de 1970 como resultado das políticas públicas de colonização promovidas durante o regime militar no arco de terras que envolve a Amazônia, e que acabou resultando no avanço da chamada fronteira agrícola, a qual, no final da década de 1990, se consolida com o desenvolvimento da moderna produção agrícola que se expande na Região Centro-Oeste. Se no início esses processos fizeram surgir inúmeros povoados que funcionavam como simples núcleos de apoio aos colonos que chegavam, mais tarde esses povoados se transformaram em dinâmicas cidades-sedes de novos municípios envolvidos no agronegócio. São consideradas no presente artigo as cidades de Sinop, Sorriso, Lucas do Rio Verde, Nova Mutum, Campo Novo do Parecis, Campo Verde e Primavera do Leste.
Incremental Value of Left Atrial Structural and Functional Characteristics for Prediction of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients Receiving Cardiac Pacing
Authors: Kosmala Wojciech , Saito Makoto , Kaye Gerry , Negishi Kazuaki , Linker Nick , Gammage Michael , Marwick Thomas H.
Published: April 2015

Background—

Better prediction of cardiac pacing patients at risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) would enable more effective prophylaxis. We sought whether left atrial (LA) electromechanical conduction time (EMT) and myocardial mechanics were associated with incident AF in patients undergoing dual chamber pacemaker implantation, independent of left atrial volume (LAV).

Methods and Results—

Clinical data were obtained prospectively in 146 enrollees (73±10 years) undergoing dual chamber pacemaker implantation in the Protect-Pace study. Echocardiograms and 2-dimensional strain analysis were obtained post implantation and at 2 years. Complete ascertainment of AF during follow-up was identified from interrogation of permanent pacemakers. Cox regression was used to identify correlates of AF. Incident AF (n=29, 20%) was associated with higher systolic blood pressure (
P
=0.01), lower left ventricular ejection fraction (
P
=0.03), lower LA strain at atrial contraction (LASac;
P
<0.001), higher LAV (
P
<0.003), and longer septal electromechanical conduction time (
P
<0.01). The associations of LAV and LASac with incident AF were independent of age, sex, systolic blood pressure, and left ventricular size and function. However, the combination of the 3 strongest predictors showed LASac (
P
=0.02) and systolic blood pressure (
P
=0.01) were independently associated with incident AF, but LAV was not (
P
=0.07). Using the optimal cut points from receiver operator characteristic curves (62 mL for LAV and 8.6% for LASac), we demonstrated that a significantly greater rate of AF was associated with both lower LASac at higher LAV and with lower LASac at lower LAV.

Conclusions—

The risk of AF in patients receiving dual chamber pacing is independently associated with LA size and function, not left ventricular structural and functional characteristics or right ventricular lead location.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00461734.
Risk of Intracranial Hemorrhage From Statin Use in Asians
Authors: Chang Chia-Hsuin , Lin Chin-Hsien , Caffrey James L. , Lee Yen-Chieh , Liu Ying-Chun , Lin Jou-Wei , Lai Mei-Shu
Published: April 2015

Background—

Reports of statin usage and increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) have been inconsistent. This study examined potential associations between statin usage and the risk of ICH in subjects without a previous history of stroke.

Methods and Results—

Patients initiating statin therapy between 2005 and 2009 without a previous history of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke were identified from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance database. Participants were stratified by advanced age (≥70 years), sex, and diagnosed hypertension. The outcome of interest was hospital admission for ICH (
International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification
codes 430, 431, 432). Cox regression models were applied to estimate the hazard ratio of ICH. The cumulative statin dosage stratified by quartile and adjusted for baseline disease risk score served as the primary variable using the lowest quartile of cumulative dosage as a reference. There were 1 096 547 statin initiators with an average follow-up of 3.3 years. The adjusted hazard ratio for ICH between the highest and the lowest quartile was nonsignificant at 1.06 with a 95% confidence interval spanning 1.00 (0.94–1.19). Similar nonsignificant results were found in sensitivity analyses using different outcome definitions or model adjustments, reinforcing the robustness of the study findings. Subgroup analysis identified an excess of ICH frequency in patients without diagnosed hypertension (adjusted hazard ratio 1.36 [1.11–1.67]).

Conclusions—

In general, no association was observed between cumulative statin use and the risk of ICH among subjects without a previous history of stroke. An increased risk was identified among the nonhypertensive cohort, but this finding should be interpreted with caution.
Gender Differences in the Trajectory of Recovery in Health Status Among Young Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Dreyer Rachel P. , Wang Yongfei , Strait Kelly M. , Lorenze Nancy P. , D’Onofrio Gail , Bueno Héctor , Lichtman Judith H. , Spertus John A. , Krumholz Harlan M.
Published: April 2015

Background—

Despite the excess risk of mortality in young women (≤55 years of age) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), little is known about young women’s health status (symptoms, functioning, quality of life) during the first year of recovery after an AMI. We examined gender differences in health status over time from baseline to 12 months after AMI.

Methods and Results—

A total of 3501 AMI patients (67% women) 18 to 55 years of age were enrolled from 103 US and 24 Spanish hospitals. Data were obtained by medical record abstraction and patient interviews at baseline hospitalization and 1 and 12 months after AMI. Health status was measured by generic (Short Form-12) and disease-specific (Seattle Angina Questionnaire) measures. We compared health status scores at all 3 time points and used longitudinal linear mixed-effects analyses to examine the independent effect of gender, adjusting for time and selected covariates. Women had significantly lower health status scores than men at each assessment (all
P
values <0.0001). After adjustment for time and all covariates, women had Short Form-12 physical/mental summary scores that were −0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI], −1.59 to −0.32) and −2.36 points (95% CI, −2.99 to −1.73) lower than those of men, as well as worse Seattle Angina Questionnaire physical limitations (−2.44 points lower; 95% CI, −3.53 to −1.34), more angina (−1.03 points lower; 95% CI, −1.98 to −0.07), and poorer quality of life (−3.51 points lower; 95% CI, −4.80 to −2.22).

Conclusion—

Although both genders recover similarly after AMI, women have poorer scores than men on all health status measures, a difference that persisted throughout the entire year after discharge.
Aristotle on Like-partedness and the Like-parted Bodies
Authors: Berman Brad
Published: April 2015

This paper offers an interpretation of Aristotle’s treatment of the homoeomerous, or like-parted, bodies. I argue that they are liable to be far more complexly structured than is commonly supposed. While Aristotelian homoeomers have no intrinsic macrostructural properties, they are, in an important class of cases, essentially marked by the presence and absence of microstructural ones. As I show, these microstructural properties allow Aristotle to neatly demarcate the non-elemental homoeomers from the elements. That demarcation, in turn, helps to clarify Aristotle’s conceptions of both homoeomery and what it is to be a bodily element. On Aristotle’s account, I argue, a homoeomerous body, as such, is divisible into at least one part that is the same specific kind as the whole. Elemental bodies are the limiting case. For Aristotle, an elemental body is only divisible into parts that are of the same specific kind as the whole.
A taxonomic revision of Phytophthora Clade 5 including two new species, Phytophthora agathidicida and P. cocois
Authors: Weir Bevan Simon , PADERES ELSA P. , ANAND NITISH , UCHIDA JANICE Y. , PENNYCOOK SHAUN R. , BELLGARD STANLEY E. , BEEVER ROSS E.
Published: April 2015

Phytophthora Clade 5 is a very poorly studied group of species of oomycete chromists, consisting of only two known species P. castaneae (≡ P. katsurae, nom. illegit.) and P. heveae with most isolates from East Asia and the Pacific Islands. However, isolates of two important disease-causing chromists in Clade 5, one of kauri (Agathis australis) in New Zealand, the other of coconut (Cocos nucifera) in Hawaii, poorly match the current species descriptions. To verify whether these isolates belong to separate species a detailed morphological study and phylogenetic analysis consisting of eight genetic loci was conducted. On the basis of genetic and morphological differences and host speciﬁcity, we present the formal description of two new species in Clade 5, Phytophthora agathidicida sp. nov. and Phytophthora cocois sp. nov. To clarify the typification of the other Clade 5 species, an authentic ex-holotype culture of Phytophthora castaneae is designated and P. heveae is lectotypified and epitypified.
A new species of Pleroma (Melastomataceae, Melastomeae) from southeastern Brazil
Authors: Guimarães Paulo José Fernandes , DA SILVA MARCUS FELIPPE OLIVEIRA
Published: April 2015

Pleroma ceciliana,a new species of Melastomataceae (Melastomeae) from Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, is described, illustrated and compared to its putative closest relatives. It is characterized mainly by the stamens dimorphic in size with the appendages covered with stipitate glands, leaf blades with the base rounded and slightly truncate, and 3+2 nerves with the marginal pair 1–2 mm suprabasal.
Ceropegia tribounii (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae), a new species from western Thailand
Authors: Kidyoo Manit
Published: April 2015

Ceropegia tribounii Kidyoo (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae), a recently discovered, endangered species from western Thailand, is described as new. Comprehensive descriptions, illustrations, photographs, and diagnostic comparisons with morphologically similar species, such as C. anjanerica, are provided here. Ceropegia tribounii can be easily recognized by its sessile, linear leaves and its broadly obovate corolla lobes that are shorter than the corolla tube, as well as by its interstaminal corona with a pilose inner surface.
Description of the second fossil Baltic amber species of Monotomidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea)
Authors: BUKEJS ANDRIS , ALEKSEEV VITALII I.
Published: April 2015

Based on a specimen from the Upper Eocene Baltic amber (Kaliningrad Region, Russia), Aneurops daugpilensis sp. nov. is described. The new species is similar to the extant A. convergens (Sharp, 1900) and A. championi Sharp, 1900 distributed in North and Central America, but differs in the larger punctation of pronotum, and shorter and sparser setation of the median plaque on ventrite 1. Aneurops daugpilensis sp. nov. is distinguished from Europs insterburgensis Alekseev, 2014 by having a median plaque on ventrite 1, a larger body size, and distinctly sparser punctation of the forebody.
An important new fossil genus of Berothinae (Neuroptera: Berothidae) from Baltic amber
Authors: MAKARKIN VLADIMIR N. , Ohl MICHAEL
Published: April 2015

Elektroberotha groehni gen. et sp. nov. (Neuroptera: Berothidae) is described from Baltic amber. The genus is assigned to Berothinae based on female terminalia that have the following characteristics: long hypocaudae on gonocoxite 9; sternite 7 that is medially divided into a pair of lateral sclerites; and gonocoxite 8 with a medial process that is very similar to that of some extant berothine genera. The new genus is the first described fossil genus of the subfamily Berothinae. It is noteworthy for the possession of a fully-developed CuP in the hind wing, a vein that is strongly reduced in all other species of the subfamily. The genus Spiroberotha is considered to belong to the Berothinae.
Climatology, Variability, and Trends in the U.S. Vapor Pressure Deficit, an Important Fire-Related Meteorological Quantity
Authors: Seager Richard , Hooks Allison , Williams A. Park , Cook Benjamin , Nakamura Jennifer , Henderson Naomi
Published: April 2015

Unlike the commonly used relative humidity, vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is an absolute measure of the difference between the water vapor content of the air and its saturation value and an accurate metric of the ability of the atmosphere to extract moisture from the land surface. VPD has been shown to be closely related to variability in burned forest areas in the western United States. Here, the climatology, variability, and trends in VPD across the United States are presented. VPD reaches its climatological maximum in summer in the interior southwest United States because of both high temperatures and low vapor pressure under the influence of the northerly, subsiding eastern flank of the Pacific subtropical anticyclone. Maxima of variance of VPD are identified in the Southwest and southern plains in spring and summer and are to a large extent driven by temperature variance, but vapor pressure variance is also important in the Southwest. La Niña–induced circulation anomalies cause subsiding, northerly flow that drives down actual vapor pressure and increases saturation vapor pressure from fall through spring. High spring and summer VPDs can also be caused by reduced precipitation in preceding months, as measured by Bowen ratio anomalies. Case studies of 2002 (the Rodeo–Chediski and Hayman fires, which occurred in Arizona and Colorado, respectively) and 2007 (the Murphy Complex fire, which occurred in Idaho and Nevada) show very high VPDs caused by antecedent surface drying and subsidence warming and drying of the atmosphere. VPD has increased in the southwest United States since 1961, driven by warming and a drop in actual vapor pressure, but has decreased in the northern plains and Midwest, driven by an increase in actual vapor pressure.
Candidate Networks, Citizen Clusters, and Political Expression
Authors: Bode Leticia , Hanna Alexander , Yang Junghwan , Shah Dhavan V.
Published: April 2015

Twitter provides a direct method for political actors to connect with citizens, and for those citizens to organize into online clusters through their use of hashtags (i.e., a word or phrase marked with # to identify an idea or topic and facilitate a search for it). We examine the political alignments and networking of Twitter users, analyzing 9 million tweets produced by more than 23,000 randomly selected followers of candidates for the U.S. House and Senate and governorships in 2010. We find that Twitter users in that election cycle did not align in a simple Right-Left division; rather, five unique clusters emerged within Twitter networks, three of them representing different conservative groupings. Going beyond discourses of fragmentation and polarization, certain clusters engaged in strategic expression such as “retweeting” (i.e., sharing someone else’s tweet with one’s followers) and “hashjacking” (i.e., co-opting the hashtags preferred by political adversaries). We find the Twitter alignments in the political Right were more nuanced than those on the political Left and discuss implications of this behavior in relation to the rise of the Tea Party during the 2010 elections.
On Building Better Mousetraps and Understanding the Human Condition
Authors: Lin Jimmy
Published: April 2015

Over the past few years, we have seen the emergence of “big data”: disruptive technologies that have transformed commerce, science, and many aspects of society. Despite the tremendous enthusiasm for big data, there is no shortage of detractors. This article argues that many criticisms stem from a fundamental confusion over goals: whether the desired outcome of big data use is “better science” or “better engineering.” Critics point to the rejection of traditional data collection and analysis methods, confusion between correlation and causation, and an indifference to models with explanatory power. From the perspective of advancing social science, these are valid reservations. I contend, however, that if the end goal of big data use is to engineer computational artifacts that are more effective according to well-defined metrics, then whatever improves those metrics should be exploited without prejudice. Sound scientific reasoning, while helpful, is not necessary to improve engineering. Understanding the distinction between science and engineering resolves many of the apparent controversies surrounding big data and helps to clarify the criteria by which contributions should be assessed.
Bad News or Mad News? Sentiment Scoring of Negativity, Fear, and Anger in News Content
Authors: Soroka Stuart , Young Lori , Balmas Meital
Published: April 2015

This article examines the prevalence and nature of negativity in news content. Using dictionary-based sentiment analysis, we examine roughly fifty-five thousand front-page news stories, comparing four different affect lexicons, one for general negativity, and three capturing different measures of fear and anger. We show that fear and anger are distinct measures that capture different sentiments. It may therefore be possible to separate out fear and anger in media content, as in psychology. We also find that negativity is more strongly related to anger than to fear for each measure. This result appears to be driven by a small number of foreign policy words in the anger dictionaries, rather than an indication that negativity in U.S. coverage reflects “anger.” We highlight the importance of tailoring lexicons to domains to improve construct validity when conducting dictionary-based automation. Finally, we connect these results to existing work on the impact of emotion on political preferences and reasoning.