bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deciphering Geothermal Resources in Deccan Trap Region using Electrical Resistivity Tomography Technique
Authors: Kumar Dewashish , Thiagarajan S. , Rai S.N.
Published: December 2011

Exploration of Geothermal resources is important from energy point of view. Western margin of volcanic Deccan traps, also known as Western Ghats, is characterized with the presence of numerous hot springs. The resistivity contrast for the geothermal reservoir rock and the surrounding host rock is significantly high in volcanic terrain which is the case of present study. In such cases the resistivity associated with geothermal reservoirs usually varies from <5 to 15 Ohm-m regardless of how high resistivity is outside the reservoir zone. Direct current (DC) resitivity method is proved to be more suitable method for delineation of groundwater reservoirs. The present work describes the results of electrical resistivity tomography survey carried out at four hot spring sites located at Unhavare (Khed), Tural, Rajwadi and Aravali villages of Chiplun taluk in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra for delineation of the geothermal reservoirs and associated geological features like faults and fractures responsible for vertical movement of geothermal water with the sole purpose of harnessing geothermal energy. In addition to this, the present study is also aimed to delineate the groundwater reservoirs with normal temperature for exploration purpose to meet the local water supply demand. The interpreted results of the field data suggest the presence of two potential geothermal reservoirs at Unhavare (Khed) and one each at Tural and Aravali. Potential groundwater zones with normal temperature are also delineated for groundwater exploration at Rajwadi and Aravali sites.
High school dropouts: Interactions between social context, self‐perceptions, school engagement, and student dropout⋆
Authors: Fall Anna‐Mária , Roberts Greg
Published: December 2011

Research suggests that contextual, self‐system, and school engagement variables influence dropping out from school. However, it is not clear how different types of contextual and self‐system variables interact to affect students’ engagement or contribute to decisions to dropout from high school. The self‐system model of motivational development represents a promising theory for understanding this complex phenomenon. The self‐system model acknowledges the interactive and iterative roles of social context, self‐perceptions, school engagement, and academic achievement as antecedents to the decision to dropout of school. We analyzed data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002–2004 in the context of the self‐system model, finding that perception of social context (teacher support and parent support) predicts students’ self‐perceptions (perception of control and identification with school), which in turn predict students’ academic and behavioral engagement, and academic achievement. Further, students’ academic and behavioral engagement and achievement in 10th grade were associated with decreased likelihood of dropping out of school in 12th grade.
Socio-Economic Disadvantage and Delusional-Like Experiences: A Nationwide Population-Based Study
Authors: Saha S. , Scott J.G. , Varghese D. , McGrath J.J.
Published: December 2011

Purpose

Delusional-like experiences (DLE) have been associated with low income, suggesting that more broadly defined socio-economic disadvantage may be associated with these experiences. We had the opportunity to explore the association between DLE and both individual- and area-level measures of socio-economic disadvantage.

Method

Subjects were drawn from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2007. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to identify DLE, common psychiatric disorders, and physical disorders. Individual-level and area-level socio-economic disadvantage measures were available based on variables including income, educational attainment, employment status, and housing. We examined the relationship between the variables of interest using logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounding factors.

Results

Of the 8773 subjects, 8.4% (n = 776) positively endorsed one or more DLE. DLE screen items were more likely to be endorsed by those who were (a) younger, (b) never married, or widowed, separated or divorced status, (c) migrants, or (d) living in rented houses. There were significant associations between socio-economic disadvantage and increased DLE endorsement, and this was found for both individual-level and area-level measures of socio-economic disadvantage. In general, the associations remained significant after adjusting for a range of potential confounding factors and in planned sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

DLE are associated with socio-economic disadvantage in the general population. We speculate that the link between socio-economic disadvantage and DLE may be mediated by psychosocial stress and general psychological distress.
Neurocognitive effectiveness of quetiapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone: A pragmatic, randomized trial
Authors: Johnsen E. , Jørgensen H.A. , Kroken R.A. , Løberg E.-M.
Published: December 2011

Purpose

Cognitive effects of second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are indicated in efficacy studies but the generalizability of the results may be limited by rigid designs and selected samples. The aim of this naturalistic, industry-independent study is to investigate whether differential neurocognitive effectiveness can be found among olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone in a clinically relevant sample with psychosis.

Subjects and methods

Adult patients acutely admitted to an emergency ward for psychosis were randomized to risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine or ziprasidone and followed for up to 2 years. Participants were assessed repeatedly using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and a repeatable neurocognitive test battery.

Results

A total of 226 patients were included and 171 patients underwent neurocognitive assessments. The sample had a global cognitive performance score at baseline about one standard deviation below that of the general population. The ziprasidone group had the fastest increase in global functioning which was significantly superior to that of the olanzapine group for the entire follow-up period. Before 90 days, the quetiapine group had the fastest increase which was statistically superior to the olanzapine group.

Discussion

Ziprasidone and quetiapine demonstrated superiority to olanzapine in increasing global neurocognitive performance in this naturalistic sample.
Acetylation‐dependent regulation of mitochondrial ALDH2 activation by SIRT3 mediates acute ethanol‐induced eNOS activation
Authors: Xue Li , Xu Feng , Meng Lujing , Wei Shujian , Wang Jiali , Hao Panpan , Bian Yuan , Zhang Yun , Chen Yuguo
Published: December 2011

Moderate alcohol consumption has beneficial effects on endothelial nitric‐oxide synthase (eNOS) activation, which can engender an array of anti‐atherogenic actions. Here we show that in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs), rapid activation of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) mediates ethanol‐induced eNOS activation by preventing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Furthermore, activation of ALDH2 by ethanol is due to its hyperacetylation by SIRT3 inactivation. These data suggest that ethanol‐induced eNOS activation in HAECs may be dependent on ALDH2 hyperacetylation by SIRT3 inactivation.
Muscle FBPase binds to cardiomyocyte mitochondria under glycogen synthase kinase‐3 inhibition or elevation of cellular Ca2+ level
Authors: Gizak Agnieszka , Pirog Michal , Rakus Dariusz
Published: December 2011

FBPase physically interacts with ATP synthase subunit β, ATP synthase subunit α, ADP/ATP translocase 1, ADP/ATP translocase 2 and VDAC2 by cross‐linking study (View interaction)
Impaired myelination of the human hippocampal formation in Down syndrome
Authors: Ábrahám Hajnalka , Vincze András , Veszprémi Béla , Kravják András , Gömöri Éva , Kovács Gábor G. , Seress László
Published: December 2011

Myelination is considered as one of the last steps of neuronal development and is essential to the physiologically matured function of afferent and efferent pathways. In the present study, myelin formation was examined in the human fetal, postnatal and adult hippocampal formation in Down syndrome and in age‐matched controls with immunohistochemistry detecting a protein component of the myelin sheath, the myelin basic protein synthesized by oligodendroglial cells.

Myelination is mainly a postnatal event in the hippocampal formation of both healthy controls and in patients with Down syndrome. In patients with Down syndrome the sequence of myelination of the hippocampal formation followed a similar developmental pattern to that in controls. However, myelin formation was generally delayed in Down syndrome compared to age‐matched controls. In addition, in the hilus of the dentate gyrus a decreased density of myelinated axons was detected from the start of myelination until adulthood.

The majority of local axons (mossy fibers) are not myelinated in the hilar region and myelinated fibers arriving in the hilus come mainly from the subcortical septal nuclei. Since intact septo‐hippocampal connections are necessary for memory formation, we hypothesize that decreased myelination in the hilus may contribute to the mental retardation of Down syndrome patients.
Drug development to overcome resistance to EGFR inhibitors in lung and colorectal cancer
Authors: Dienstmann Rodrigo , De Dosso Sara , Felip Enriqueta , Tabernero Josep
Published: December 2011

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a validated target in different human malignancies. EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are known to contribute considerably to the extension of progression‐free survival in EGFR‐mutant non‐small cell lung cancer and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting EGFR have also improved the efficacy outcomes in KRAS wild‐type colorectal cancer. Nevertheless, a significant percentage of lung and colorectal cancer patients do not respond to anti‐EGFR agents and secondary resistance after initial benefit is a challenging reality faced by clinicians. Extensive preclinical work on the potential mechanisms of resistance to EGFR inhibitors in different disease settings has guided the development of second‐generation irreversible EGFR TKIs, more efficient anti‐EGFR mAbs, and combination strategies with agents targeting other receptors and downstream effectors. In order to elucidate the role of the multiple therapeutic strategies under investigation to overcome EGFR inhibitors‐resistance, rational drug development based on stringent preclinical data, biomarker validation and proper selection of patients in the ongoing clinical trials are of paramount importance. Preliminary results of clinical trials evaluating these approaches will be discussed in this manuscript, with emphasis on TKIs in lung cancer and mAbs in advanced colorectal cancer.
Are burnt sediments reliable recorders of geomagnetic field strength?
Authors: Calvo-Rathert Manuel , Carrancho Ángel , Stark Florian , Villalaín Juan José , Hill Mimi
Published: December 2011

This study tests if burnt soils and sediments can provide reliable records of geomagnetic field strength at the time of burning by carrying out an experiment to reproduce the prehistoric use of fire on a clayish soil substratum. Rock magnetic experiments showed that in the upper 0–1 cm of the central part of the burnt surface, remanence is a thermoremanent magnetization carried by single-domain magnetite and that samples are thermally stable. Fourteen specimens from that area were subjected to paleointensity experiments with the Coe method (1967). An intensity of 42.9±5.7 μT was estimated below 440°C, whereas at higher temperatures magneto-mineralogical alterations were observed. Corresponding successful microwave intensity determinations from two specimens gave a mean value of 47.6 μT. Both results are in reasonable agreement with the expected field value of 45.2 μT. Burnt soils of archeological fires thus have the potential to record accurately the paleofield strength and may be useful targets for archeointensity investigations. Coincident results obtained from two different paleointensity determination methods support this conclusion.
Long Lines: AT&T's Long-Distance Network as an Organizational and Political Strategy
Authors: MacDougall Robert
Published: December 2011

The primary importance of long-distance telephone service to the American Telephone and Telegraph Company in the first two decades of the twentieth century was not commercial but organizational and political. The so-called Bell System was not a single firm before 1910 but was, rather, an association of regional companies with considerable autonomy. As AT&T's leaders worked both to overcome independent competitors and to curtail the autonomy of their own local affiliates, long-distance service offered them a powerful technological justification for the consolidation of control. Outside the Bell System, long distance also served as a vivid symbol of interconnection and integration. Long distance proved central to AT&T's campaign to convince Americans of its own legitimacy and that of nation-spanning corporations in general.
Lessons from Al, Revisited
Authors: Yeager Mary A.
Published: December 2011

Once upon a time, in the 1950s, Alfred Chandler was a student of history, doing what most young, untenured assistant professors of history do. He was applying for a grant. His aim was to conduct research on the 1927 reorganization of the Standard Oil Corporation of New Jersey for a chapter in a forthcoming book that was to become Strategy and Structure.
Dutch Multinational Enterprises in the United States: A Historical Summary
Authors: Wilkins Mira
Published: December 2011

The story of Dutch business in America began in the colonial period and continues into the present. The early Dutch trading companies of the seventeenth century, including the Dutch West India Company, were followed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by such firms as the Holland-America Line, Unilever, Royal Dutch Shell, and NV Philips. The historical pattern of these Dutch businesses contributes to the growing literature on multinational enterprises (MNEs) and is relevant to recent debates on the historical convergence and/or divergence of living standards and productivity in national economies. An examination of the history of Dutch MNEs operating in the United States reveals some of the ways that these firms fit into the larger framework of Dutch business overall and provides a way to compare the strategies of Dutch MNEs with those of MNEs from other countries.
Commodity Chains and Networks in Emerging Markets: New Zealand, 1880–1910
Authors: Hunter Ian
Published: December 2011

This consideration of how innovation was exploited in primary processing industries during the period of the second industrial revolution draws on case material from frozen-meat and dairy-processing industries in New Zealand between 1880 and 1910, examining how entrepreneurial networks successfully created commodity chains for the exportation of produce to U.K. markets. Latin American commodity chains are considered as a counterpoint. What is suggested is that despite the absence of large-scale firms and significant foreign capital, New Zealand producers, relying on network-based organizational forms, successfully entered overseas markets, capitalizing on information sharing, rapid diffusion of technology, and loose alliances that exploited complementary skills and assets.
The Making of a Music Multinational: PolyGram's International Businesses, 1945–1998
Authors: Bakker Gerben
Published: December 2011

In half a century PolyGram expanded from two small Dutch and German companies to become the world's largest music multinational. It did so in the midst of a fast-changing business environment, in which relatively homogenous products and tastes gave way to differentiated outputs for segmented markets. Making use of strengths inherited from its owners Philips and Siemens, PolyGram integrated a continuous series of foreign acquisitions into one international organization while maintaining the creative identities and independence of the firms it acquired. To control and manage the resulting idiosyncratic configuration, it developed the federated form, a decentralized organizational structure that fit the shifting environment. PolyGram became what can be defined as a rightsbased multinational, and its structure showed similarities to multinationals in other rights-based industries.
Networks and Knowledge: The Beginning and End of the Port Commodity Chain, 1703–1860
Authors: Duguid Paul
Published: December 2011

Diversified trading networks have recently drawn a great deal of attention. In the process, the importance of diversity has perhaps been overemphasized. Using the trade in port wine from Portugal to Britain as an example, this essay attempts to show how a market once dominated by general, diversified traders was taken over by dedicated specialists whose success might almost be measured by the degree to which they rejected diversification to form a dedicated “commodity chain.” The essay suggests that this strategy was better able to handle matters of quality and the specialized knowledge that port wine required. The essay also highlights the question of power in such a chain. Endemic commodity-chain struggles are clearest in the vertical brand war that broke out in the nineteenth century, which, by concentrating power, marked the final stage in the transformation of the trade from network to vertical integration.
Foreign Investments in Electric Utilities: A Comparative Analysis of Belgian and American Companies in Argentina, 1890–1960
Authors: Lanciotti Norma S.
Published: December 2011

This article analyzes the performance of foreign electric-utility companies and the evolution of the electric-power industry in Argentina from 1890 until the end of the 1950s, when the electric utilities were nationalized. It focuses on the decisions and strategies of the subsidiaries controlled by two holding companies: the Société Financière de Transports et d'Entreprises Industrielles (SOFINA) and the American & Foreign Power Company. The study suggests that the divergence in the performance of these two companies was determined both by their investment patterns and by their financial styles and management decisions. The impact of private decisions and public regulation on the Argentinean electric-power system is also explored.
Negotiating under the Monroe Doctrine: Weetman Pearson and the Origins of U.S. Control of Colombian Oil
Authors: Bucheli Marcelo
Published: December 2011

Before World War I, most foreign investment in Latin America came from Britain. By World War II, however, the United States had become the main and unchallenged foreign investor in the region. This analysis of the negotiations that took place between the British firm (Pearson and Son) and the Colombian government over oil contracts reveals the reasons for the shift in influence. The company's lack of awareness that Britain had been overtaken by the United States as the hegemonic power in the hemisphere eventually caused the negotiations to collapse. While talks were proceeding, the company failed to consider how much influence the United States had on Colombian internal politics, and it overlooked the history of U.S.–Colombia relations. As a result, Pearson never received oil concessions in Colombia; instead, they were granted to American companies, consolidating U.S. power in the region.
Arbitrary amplitude Langmuir solitons in a relativistic electron–positron plasma
Authors: LAZARUS I. J. , BHARUTHRAM R. , SINGH S. V. , LAKHINA G. S.
Published: December 2011

The arbitrary amplitude Langmuir solitons are investigated in an unmagnetized, warm, relativistic plasma, consisting of electrons and positrons. Both the species are considered to have equal non-relativistic temperatures, but can have arbitrary relativistic drift speeds, and their dynamics are governed by fluid equations. Using the Sagdeev psuedo-potential approach, the effects of drift speed, Mach number, and thermal temperature on the amplitude and width of the Langmuir solitons are investigated. For the parameters considered, only rarefactive solitons are found. These solitons represent dip in electron density or electron holes in the configuration space. Existence domain of the Langmuir solitons is limited by the minimum and maximum Mach numbers for given parameters. An increase in the electron (positron) temperature leads to an increase in the Langmuir soliton amplitude and their half-widths. On the other hand, increasing the electron (positron) drift speeds results in decreasing soliton amplitudes and their half-widths. For some typical parameters corresponding to the pulsar magnetosphere, namely electron density ~106 cm−3 and electron thermal velocity of one-tenth of the velocity of light, the electric field of the Langmuir solitons can be of the order of (3–24)kV/m. The presence of such large amplitude electrostatic solitary structures may accelerate electrons and positrons and also produce fine structures of (1–5) microseconds in pulsar radio emissions.
The use of cohesive markers in narratives by children with Williams syndrome
Authors: JONES NANCY ELIZABETH
Published: December 2011

This study examined how children and adolescents with Williams syndrome (WS; ages 8 years, 0 months [8;0]–14;5) used referential devices (determiners and pronouns), tense, and connectives to create cohesion in oral narratives based on a storybook compared to typically developing mentally and chronologically age-matched children. WS children used cohesive devices in narratives similarly to mentally matched children, but their performance differed from the chronologically matched children only for referential cohesion. WS children's grammatical error rates were similar to both the mentally and chronologically matched children. Implications for the characterization of the language profile of individuals with WS and considerations for the focus of future narrative research are discussed.
Communication patterns between internationally adopted children and their mothers: Implications for language development
Authors: GAUTHIER K. , GENESEE F. , DUBOIS M. E. , KASPARIAN K.
Published: December 2011

This study presents findings on patterns of communication between internationally adopted children and their mothers in order to better understand the nature of these interactions and their influence on language learning. We examined maternal language use and joint attention behaviors of mothers and their children in 21 mother–child pairs: 10 pairs included children adopted from China living in francophone families, and 11 included francophone children living with their biological families; all were matched for socioeconomic status, sex, and age. The children were, on average, 15 months of age at initial testing when they were video-taped with their mothers for purposes of describing the mothers’ language use and the mothers’ and children's joint attention behaviors. Vocabulary development was assessed at 15 and again at 20 months of age using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory. The results support the conclusion that adoptive mothers play an active role in promoting and maintaining joint attention and that the redirecting style they used the most and that correlated with their children's later vocabulary development contrasts with the following style that correlates with vocabulary development in nonadopted children raised in mainstream North American families.
Managing identity in early-stage dementia: maintaining a sense of being valued
Authors: STEEMAN E. , TOURNOY J. , GRYPDONCK M. , GODDERIS J. , DE CASTERLÉ B. DIERCKX
Published: December 2011

Focusing on loss or maintenance of identity in persons with dementia may affect how they are approached and cared for. We performed a longitudinal study of 17 elderly persons with early-stage dementia with the aim of exploring changes in the experience of living with dementia. The major theme – a struggle to be valued – was clearly present in follow-up interviews. However, we observed a gradual shift in the concept of being valued: a shift from ‘being valued for what you do’ toward ‘being valued for who you are’. This progression represents a shift from performance-related core values of identity to those that are existentially related. These findings suggest that the self can be maintained by adjusting to loss.
Les représentations identitaires dans le discours normatif des chroniqueurs de langage canadiens-français depuis le milieu du XIXesiècle
Authors: REMYSEN WIM
Published: December 2011

Cet article est consacré aux rapports qui existent entre l'identité et la norme en matière de langue dans le discours qu'on trouve sous la plume des chroniqueurs de langage canadiens-français. Notre objectif est d'analyser comment ces derniers définissent l'identité de leurs compatriotes et quelle importance ils accordent à des considérations identitaires dans leur discours à propos du français canadien et de sa légitimité. L'analyse porte sur 12 chroniques, écrites par autant d'auteurs différents, publiées dans la presse canadienne-française entre 1865 et 1996. Les résultats de notre analyse tendent à montrer qu'il ne suffit pas d'étudier comment les chroniqueurs canadiens-français perçoivent l'identité de leurs compatriotes – notamment en termes de degré d'autonomie par rapport à l'identité française – pour comprendre la façon dont ils ont évalué le français au Canada; il faut aussi, et surtout, tenir compte du poids que ces chroniqueurs attribuent à l'identité dans leur conception de la langue si on veut bien comprendre leur façon de définir la norme.
On the Very Idea of Genetic Justice
Authors: LOI MICHELE
Published: December 2011

Innovations in science and technology are often the source of public concern, but few have generated debates as intense and at the same time with such a popular fascination as those surrounding genetic technologies. Unequal access to preimplantation diagnosis could give some individuals the opportunity to select children with more advantageous predispositions.
My Bioethics Journey
Authors: ZAUSMER LINDSAY
Published: December 2011

The patient, an 89-year-old man—let’s call him Mr. Smith—had no known relatives, friends, or advance directives. He was a bright man and served as a scientist in the Reagan administration.
Fate or Free Will: My Passage to Bioethics
Authors: HARRIS DIANA
Published: December 2011

I remember applying for the master’s in bioethics program at the University of Pennsylvania and thinking very carefully about what I wanted any reader to know about my childhood and its impact on shaping my career path to this point.
The Road Less Traveled
Authors: ZELLNER RICHARD A.
Published: December 2011

My heart was removed and replaced on May 17, 2006. No melodrama is intended here, just an unadorned factual statement. Transplants are transformative. In my case, that transformation led to bioethics.
Introduction to the supplement: a holistic approach to hypoplastic left heart syndrome and other evolving challenges in paediatric and congenital cardiac disease
Authors: Jacobs Jeffrey P.
Published: December 2011

This Supplement to Cardiology in the Young represents the ninth annual supplement generated from the two meetings that compose “HeartWeek in Florida”. “HeartWeek in Florida”, the joint collaborative project sponsored by the Cardiac Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, together with All Children's Hospital of Saint Petersburg and the Congenital Heart Institute of Florida, averages over 1000 attendees every year and is now recognized as one of the major planks of continuing medical and nursing education for those working in the fields of diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disease in the fetus, neonate, infant, child, and adult. “HeartWeek in Florida” combines the International Symposium on Congenital Heart Disease, now organised by All Children's Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medicine and entering its 12th year, with the Annual Postgraduate Course in Pediatric Cardiovascular Disease organised by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and entering its 16th year. The theme of this supplement generated from the 2011 HeartWeek in Florida is “A Holistic Approach to Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Other Evolving Challenges in Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Disease”. We would like to acknowledge the tremendous contributions made to medicine by Martin Elliott and Gil Wernovsky; and therefore, we dedicate this HeartWeek 2011 Supplement to them.
Neonatal surgical reconstruction and peri-operative care for hypoplastic left heart syndrome: current strategies
Authors: Fuller Stephanie , Ghanayem Nancy , Chai Paul , Nigro John , Kleisli Thomas , Tabbutt Sarah
Published: December 2011

The management of newborns with hypoplastic left heart syndrome has changed significantly over the past three decades, with an associated dramatic improvement in outcomes. The aim of this paper is to discuss current peri-operative and palliative surgical strategies. Owing to the fact that comparative outcomes for these strategies have been addressed in a limited number of prospective trials and extractions from multi-centred databases, the primary focus of this review is descriptive.
Long-term management of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome: the diagnostic approach at All Children's Hospital
Authors: Dadlani Gul H. , Braley Katherine , Perez-Colon Elimarys , Stapleton Gary , Crawford Marguerite , Turpin Dima , Wilmot Ivan , Freire Grace , Decker Jamie , Martinez Richard
Published: December 2011

Improved survival in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome has created a sub-population of children and young adults who are living with functionally univentricular physiology. Routine surveillance with comprehensive screening for structural cardiac disease, functional cardiac disease, arrhythmias, thromboembolic disease, and associated dysfunction of end organs is important. Future directives will better define the plans of care for routine surveillance in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
Developing the evidence base for the new guidelines for reduction of cardiovascular risk for children by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Authors: Gidding Samuel S.
Published: December 2011

In 2006, a process was initiated to develop evidence-based paediatric guidelines directed towards physicians for reduction of cardiovascular risk. In contrast to prior consensus-based guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, this process was to be evidenced based. This manuscript describes the process undertaken to write the evidence-based guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, beginning with the search for evidence, then the process of review of the evidence, and finally the writing of the final document. This manuscript also provides some thoughts on how this process might be adapted in developing guidelines for caring for patients with congenital cardiac disease.
12th Annual C. Walton Lillehei Memorial Lecture in Cardiovascular Surgery: Fontan conversion – the Chicago experience
Authors: Backer Carl L.
Published: December 2011

Between 1994 and 2011, we performed 133 Fontan conversions with arrhythmia surgery. Most patients had tricuspid atresia or double-inlet left ventricle with prior atriopulmonary connection. Operative mortality was 1.5%, and mean length of stay was 14 days. A total of eight patients (6%) have had late cardiac transplantation. Freedom from arrhythmia recurrence is 85% at 10 years. For properly selected patients with a functionally univentricular heart who have had an atriopulmonary Fontan procedure, Fontan conversion with arrhythmia surgery significantly improves quality of life.
Higher-level canonical subgroups for p-divisible groups
Authors: Rabinoff Joseph
Published: December 2011

Let R be a complete rank-1 valuation ring of mixed characteristic (0, p), and let K be its field of fractions. A g-dimensional truncated Barsotti–Tate group G of level n over R is said to have a level-n canonical subgroup if there is a K-subgroup of G ⊗RK with geometric structure (Z/pnZ)g consisting of points ‘closest to zero’. We give a non-trivial condition on the Hasse invariant of G that guarantees the existence of the canonical subgroup, analogous to a result of Katz and Lubin for elliptic curves. The bound is independent of the height and dimension of G.
Bestimmung der Erreichungsquote der Deutschen Suchthilfestatistik auf Basis des DBDD- Einrichtungsregisters
Authors: Süss Beate , Pfeiffer-Gerschel Tim
Published: December 2011

Fragestellung: In diesem Beitrag werden erstmalig transparente und methodisch nachvollziehbare Ergebnisse zur Berechnung der Erreichungsquote der Deutschen Suchthilfestatistik (DSHS) dargestellt. Errechnungsgrundlage ist ein seit Ende 2006 von der Deutschen Beobachtungsstelle für Drogen und Drogensucht (DBDD) geführtes zentrales Suchthilferegister, das strukturell an dem seit 2007 bundesweit gültigen Deutschen Kerndatensatz zur Dokumentation im Bereich der Suchtkrankenhilfe (KDS) orientiert ist. Erfasst und in Hinblick auf eine DSHS-Teilnahme klassifiziert werden Facheinrichtungen, die einem von 16 im KDS definierten Einrichtungstypen zuzuordnen sind. Methodik: Die Erreichungsquote der DSHS wird für das Aggregierungsjahr 2010 (Datenjahr 2009) über alle berücksichtigten Einrichtungen des Registers hinweg, auf Ebene der einzelnen Einrichtungstypen und analog der Hauptauswertungen der DSHS für den ambulanten und stationären Bereich bestimmt. Ergebnisse: Für den Gesamtdatensatz liegt die Erreichungsquote bei 44 – 51 %. Im ambulanten Bereich werden 69 – 75 %, im stationären Bereich 43 – 48 % der Einrichtungen erreicht. Auffallend hoch ist die Beteiligung im Bereich der Beratungs- und/oder Behandlungsstellen/Fachambulanzen. Bei bestimmten Einrichtungstypen findet sich ein vergleichsweise hoher Prozentsatz an „verdeckt“ aggregierenden Einrichtungen (Einrichtungen, die ihre Daten unter dem Code einer anderen Einrichtung zur Verfügung stellen). Schlussfolgerungen: Kritisch diskutiert werden mögliche Ursachen unterschiedlich hoher Beteiligung und der Art der Teilnahme, die systematische Unterschätzung der Beteiligung bestimmter Einrichtungstypen und Verzerrungen von Daten aufgrund indirekter Teilnahme an der DSHS sowie ein nach wie vor bestehender Aufklärungsbedarf in Hinblick auf Zuständigkeiten im Bereich der Suchthilfestatistik und deren wechselseitige Vernetzung.
Monitoring der Therapie alkohol-bezogener Störungen
Authors: Steppan Martin , Pfeiffer-Gerschel Tim
Published: December 2011

Fragestellung: Die Deutsche Suchthilfestatistik (DSHS) stellt eines der größten und umfassendsten Dokumentationssysteme im Suchtbereich weltweit dar. Die Datenlage eröffnet hier ein breites Feld für Trendbeobachtung und Monitoring. Die vorliegende Untersuchung stellt den Versuch dar, anhand einer umschriebenen Störungsgruppe (Alkohol-bezogener Störungen) Veränderungen im Suchthilfesystem deskriptiv abzubilden und systematisch Ursachen innerhalb und außerhalb des Systems gegeneinander abzugrenzen. Methodik: Als Datenbank wurden die anonymisierten Daten der Berliner Suchthilfestatistik aus den Jahren 2004 bis 2008 verwendet (N = 39.219). Beobachtete Variablen der Stichprobe waren Alter bei Behandlungs- und Störungsbeginn, Geschlecht, Schulbildung, Erwerbssitution, Substanz-bezogene Komorbidität, Wohnungssituation und Partnerschaft. Beobachtete Outcome-Variablen waren Behandlungsdauer und Behandlungserfolg. Je nach Niveau und Fragestellung kamen unterschiedliche statistische Verfahren zur Anwendung (z. B. Chi-Quadrat, Regression, Korrelation, t-Test, Varianzanalyse, U-Test, H-Test). Ergebnisse: Die Untersuchung zeigte eine signifikante Reduktion des Therapieerfolgs in ambulanten und eine Verbesserung des Therapieerfolgs in stationären Einrichtungen. Die Behandlungsdauer sank in beiden Bereichen signifikant. Schlussfolgerungen: Diese Trends können vor allem durch soziodemographische Veränderungen der Population erklärt werden, deren Belastung im ambulanten Setting zugenommen und im stationären Bereich abgenommen hat. Die Analysen legen den Schluss nahe, dass in ambulanten und stationären Einrichtungen ein Trend hin zu positiveren Bewertungen von Therapieerfolgen zu beobachten ist.
Cannabis-bezogene Störungen – epidemiologische und soziodemographische Daten aus ambulanten Suchthilfeeinrichtungen in Deutschland 2000 – 2009
Authors: Kipke Ingo , Steppan Martin , Pfeiffer-Gerschel Tim
Published: December 2011

Ziel: Die Gruppe der Klienten mit der Hauptdiagnose (HD) Cannabis wird über ein Jahrzehnt (2000 – 2009) beschrieben und mit den Klienten mit anderen HD verglichen. Dabei soll untersucht werden, ob sich soziodemographische und epidemiologische Parameter der Klienten verändert haben. Methodik: Es handelt sich um eine deskriptive Reanalyse der soziodemographischen Daten von Klienten aus ambulanten Suchtberatungs-/-behandlungseinrichtungen in Deutschland, die im Rahmen der Deutschen Suchthilfestatistik (DSHS) dokumentiert wurden. Die Datenerhebung orientiert sich am neuen Deutschen Kerndatensatz zur Dokumentation in der Suchthilfe. Die Zahl der betrachteten Fälle pro Jahr lag zwischen 51.840 aus 368 Einrichtungen (2001) und 152.154 aus 779 Einrichtungen (2009). Ergebnisse: Der Anteil der Klienten mit einer primären Cannabisproblematik hat sich von 2000 (6,3 %) bis 2009 (13,5 %) deutlich vergrößert, 2009 beträgt die Gesamtzahl 20.599 Fälle. Es zeigen sich folgende Parameter zur aktuellen Lebenssituation: Fast zwei Drittel der Klienten mit HD Cannabis sind alleinstehend. Der Anteil der Cannabisklienten in prekärer Wohnsituation hat sich von 2002 (0,5 %) nach 2003 (1,1 %) verdoppelt. Seitdem sind die Werte von leichten Schwankungen abgesehen stabil. Fast ein Sechstel der Cannabisklienten hat zwischen 2007 und 2009 die Schule ohne Schulabschluss oder mit Sonderschulabschluss beendet. Die Arbeitslosigkeit hat sich unter den Klienten mit HD Cannabis zwischen 2000 (18,1 %) und 2007 (42,0 %) mehr als verdoppelt und ist seitdem nahezu unverändert hoch (2009: 43,6 %). Schlussfolgerungen: Der seit 2000 deutlich gestiegene Anteil der Klienten mit HD Cannabis an allen Klienten steht möglicherweise in Beziehung mit der gestiegenen Zahl spezieller Programme zur Behandlung von Cannabis bezogenen Störungen. Der hohe Anteil an alleinstehenden Cannabisklienten ist vor allem auf das unterdurchschnittliche Alter im Vergleich zu den anderen Klienten zurückzuführen. Auch wenn sich der Anteil von Klienten in prekärer Wohnsituation seit 2000 mehr als verdoppelt hat (von ca. 0,5 % auf mehr als 1 %), befanden sich 2009 doch mindestens 85 % in stabilen Wohnverhältnissen. Die aktuelle berufliche Situation der Klienten ist besorgniserregend. Daher scheinen Maßnahmen zur Bekämpfung der hohen Arbeitslosigkeit, insbesondere unter den jüngeren Klienten mit HD Cannabis, angezeigt. Sinnvoll wären Frühinterventionen, die speziell auf das Setting „Schule, Ausbildungsplatz, Berufsberatung“ zugeschnitten sind. Dazu sind intensivere Anstrengungen und Kooperationen von Suchthilfeeinrichtungen, Sozialämtern, Jugendhilfe und Arbeitsagenturen nötig.
Earn Your Wings Program
Authors: Santos Elisabete , Palma Helena , Nápoles Gonçalo , Romero Raquel , Gabriel Rita , Grilo Vítor , Pascoal Cláudia
Published: December 2011

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an intensive fear of flying treatment program. Data on generalized, anticipatory and in-flight anxiety, somatic and cognitive complaints were collected pretreatment and posttreatment through FAM and FAS. Number of flights and no-shows 12 months before and after the program and the boarding rate on the therapeutic flight were also assessed. Results show a moderate reduction effect in generalized flight anxiety and a substantial reduction effect in all other subscales. The number of flights increased, whereas the noshows decreased, both with statistical significance. Boarding rate on the therapeutic flight was 96%. This study suggests that, when adequately helped, aerophobics can overcome their fear and that this program seems to be an effective treatment.
Rule Fragmentation in the Airworthiness Regulations
Authors: Harris Don
Published: December 2011

As a result of increasing organizational interdependence and integration of systems in commercial airline operation, it is argued that the manner in which human factors issues are addressed in the aviation regulations is becoming increasingly incompatible with human and organizational behavior in an airline. Error and workload are two of the more pervasive aspects of human factors in the airworthiness regulations and are both products of complex interactions among equipment design, procedures, training, and the environment. However, these aspects of human factors cannot be regulated on a localized basis, and a more systemic, holistic approach to the regulation of error and workload is required. It is suggested that a safety case–based approach may be better used as an adjunct to existing regulations for human factors issues.
A Review of Federal Aviation Administration Fatigue Research
Authors: Avers Katrina , Johnson William B.
Published: December 2011

Human fatigue remains a significant challenge in aviation. Basic scientific research has studied fatigue and created a solid scientific understanding. Current efforts seek to transfer the available research into operational environments. This document reviews the research and development conducted by the US Federal Aviation Administration over the past 50 years and focuses on studies that have led to the successful transition from science into the aviation industry. Further, this article reviews current strategies and methods used to transition research into workplace operations.
Establishment of the Global International Fatigue Risk Management Forum
Authors: Stewart Simon , Koornneef Floor , Akselsson Roland
Published: December 2011

For many years, fatigue-related risk has been recognized as a significant issue for aircraft operators. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) states that a basic building block underlying the process of managing safety is “sharing safety lessons learned and best practices through the active exchange of safety information.” An example of this organized active exchange is the global Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) Forum which was launched in 2009 and includes 65 organizations (2011) (regulators, airline operators, and academic institutions). The Forum is apolitical and facilitates better communication between these bodies. New information from the ICAO and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) cites the fact that operators can no longer interpret binary compliance with prescriptive flight time limitations as ensuring “legality” or safety. This paper describes how the FRMS Forum can help.
Point/Counterpoint: Electrical Stimulation for Dysphagia: The Argument for Electrical Stimulation for Dysphagia
Authors: Carter Jennifer
Published: December 2011

This article is one side of the debate about the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES or “VitalStim”) in dysphagia treatment and presents the case supporting the use of this modality. I present published results of clinical trials examining the effectiveness of NMES and acknowledge some flaws in the trials. The evidence shows that, when added to traditional therapy, NMES makes a statistically significant positive difference for a variety of traditional treatment approaches to which it may be added.
Role Of Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis and Follow-Up of Pediatric Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis: a Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Savino A. , Salvatore R. , Cafarotti A. , Cecamore C. , De Sanctis S. , Angelucci D. , Mohn A. , Chiarelli F. , Pelliccia P.
Published: December 2011

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG) is a rare disease characterized by the infiltration of one or more layers of the digestive tract by eosinophilic leukocytes. The diagnosis is confirmed by histological examination of a characteristic biopsy, but radiological features are useful for diagnostic suspicion. We report the case of an adolescent boy with recurrent epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting, in whom sonographic features and eosinophilia of the peripheral blood suggested the diagnosis of EG. Moreover, we reviewed the radiological features of EG with particular regard to the role of sonography in the diagnosis and follow-up of EG, especially in children. We emphasize the utility of sonography in pediatric patients presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms, since it may provide useful information in a quick, inexpensive and noninvasive way. Ultrasonographic detection of features such as bowel wall thickness, ascites and peritoneal nodules may be largely suggestive of EG and may prevent other invasive exams and abdominal surgery. Ultrasonography can also be easily used in the follow-up of these patients, and may obviate the frequent and potentially dangerous exposure to radiation.
Real-Time Elastography of Hepatic Thermal Lesions In Vitro: Histopathological Correlation
Authors: Wiggermann P. , Jung E.-M. , Glöckner S. , Hoffstetter P. , Uller W. , Vasilj A. , Schreyer A. , Stroszczynski C.
Published: December 2011

Purpose: To evaluate the reliability of elastography, a new ultrasonographic method, for delineating thermal lesion boundaries in porcine liver tissue by comparing lesion dimensions determined by real-time elastography with the findings at gross pathology.

Materials and Methods: A total of 15 thermal lesions with diameters ranging from 17 to 60 mm were created using radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Color-coded elastography was performed by one experienced examiner, using a 6 – 15 MHz high frequency linear transducer (LOGIQ E9, GE). Lesions were examined using B-mode and real-time elastography (RTE). Lesion detection, delineation and size were assessed using B-mode and RTE immediately after each thermal ablation ( < 5 min). Measurements of the sections representing the same image plane used for elastography were taken during pathologic examination and compared to the measurements obtained from the elastograms.

Results: In our sample a statistically significant correlation in vitro between RTE and pathological measurements with respect to the lesion’s principal axis and area (r2 = 0.9338 long axis, r2 = 0.8998 short axis and r2 = 0.9676 area) was found. Overall, elastography slightly underestimated the lesion size, as judged by the digitalized pathologic images.

Conclusion: These results support that RTE outperforms conventional B-mode ultrasound and could potentially be used for the routine assessment of thermal therapies.
My sixty years with The American Physical Society
Authors: Darrow Karl K.
Published: December 2011

In the year 1913, the last of the Golden Years before the first of the great convulsions that have afflicted the twentieth century, I was a graduate student at the University of Chicago. I was a Chicagoan by birth, and my parents and I lived about a mile from the University. This geographical accident was what caused me to be enrolled in a University having one of the strongest, perhaps indeed the strongest, of departments of physics in the country. No such circumstance was responsible for the presence of another graduate student of physics, Yoshio Ishida, whose name discloses his native land. I wish I knew why he had chosen the University of Chicago: probably his choice is proof that it had already a high reputation overseas.