bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection and Its Risk Factors among 5,410 Healthy Adults in China, 2009–2011
Authors: Hang Dong , Liu Fangfang , Liu Mengfei , He Zhonghu , Sun Min , Liu Ying , Li Jingjing , Pan Yaqi , Ning Tao , Guo Chuanhai , Liang Yongmei , Xu Ruiping , Zhang Lixin , Cai Hong , Ke Yang
Published: July 2014

Background: Despite the established link between oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and a subset of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), little is known about the epidemiology of oral HPV infection among healthy adults in China.

Methods: Oral swab specimens and questionnaires were collected from 5,410 individuals (ages 25–65 years). HPV DNA in oral exfoliated cells was tested by general primer-mediated (SPF1/GP6+) PCR and sequencing. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the associations between exposure factors and oral infection.

Results: Alpha mucosal HPV types were detected in 0.67% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.47%–0.93%] of 5,351 β-globin–positive specimens, and cutaneous HPV in 5.46% (95% CI, 4.86%–6.10%). HPV 16 and 3 were the most prevalent types of α mucosal (0.43%; 95% CI, 0.27%–0.64%) and cutaneous HPV (4.17%; 95% CI, 3.65%–4.74%), respectively. The prevalence of α mucosal HPV decreased with increasing age (25–65 years) from 0.93% to 0.36% (Ptrend = 0.033), and was associated with self-reported history of oral disease [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 4.78; 95% CI, 1.07–21.41]. In 1,614 heterosexual couples, cutaneous HPV in one partner was found to increase the other partner's risk of cutaneous HPV infection (adjusted OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.22–4.48).

Conclusions: Oral HPV infection, particularly with α mucosal types, is rare among healthy adults in China. A younger age and a history of oral disease imply higher risk of α mucosal HPV infection.

Impact: This study addresses the paucity of epidemiological data on oral HPV infection among healthy population in China. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(10); 2101–10. ©2014 AACR.
Extrinsic Apoptosis Is Impeded by Direct Binding of the APL Fusion Protein NPM-RAR to TRADD
Authors: Chattopadhyay Anuja , Hood Brian L. , Conrads Thomas P. , Redner Robert L.
Published: July 2014

A subset of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cases has been characterized by the t(5;17)(q35;q21) translocation variant, which fuses nucleophosmin (NPM) to retinoic acid receptor α (RARA). The resultant NPM-RAR fusion protein blocks myeloid differentiation and leads to a leukemic phenotype similar to that caused by the t(15;17)(q22;q21) PML-RAR fusion. The contribution of the N-terminal 117 amino acids of NPM contained within NPM-RAR has not been well studied. As a molecular chaperone, NPM interacts with a variety of proteins implicated in leukemogenesis. Therefore, a proteomic analysis was conducted to identify novel NPM-RAR–associated proteins. TNF receptor type I–associated DEATH domain protein (TRADD) was identified as a relevant binding partner for NPM-RAR. This interaction was validated by coprecipitation and colocalization analysis. Biologic assessment found that NPM-RAR expression impaired TNF-induced signaling through TRADD, blunting TNF-mediated activation of caspase-3 (CASP3) and caspase-8 (CASP8), to ultimately block apoptosis.

Implications: This study identifies a novel mechanism through which NPM-RAR affects leukemogenesis. Mol Cancer Res; 12(9); 1283–91. ©2014 AACR.
Targeting Cancer-Derived Adenosine:New Therapeutic Approaches
Authors: Young Arabella , Mittal Deepak , Stagg John , Smyth Mark J.
Published: July 2014

CD73 generation of immunosuppressive adenosine within the hypoxic tumor microenvironment causes dysregulation of immune cell infiltrates, resulting in tumor progression, metastases, and poor disease outcomes. Therapies targeted toward the adenosinergic pathway, such as antibodies targeting CD73 and CD39, have proven efficacy in mouse tumor models; however, humanized versions are only in preliminary development. In contrast, A2A adenosine receptor antagonists have progressed to late-stage clinical trials in Parkinson disease, yet evidence of their role in oncology is limited. This review will compare the merits and challenges of these therapeutic approaches, identifying tumor indications and combinations that may be fruitful as they progress to the clinic.

Significance: High concentrations of immunosuppressive adenosine have been reported in cancers, and adenosine is implicated in the growth of tumors. This brief review delineates the current treatment strategies and tumor subtypes that will benefit from targeting adenosinergic pathways, alone or in combination with contemporary approaches to cancer treatment. Cancer Discov; 4(8); 879–88. ©2014 AACR.
Alfabetização no Brasil
Authors: Oliveira João Batista Araujo de
Published: July 2014

O presente artigo aborda o conceito de alfabetização a partir da perspectiva da ciência cognitiva de leitura. Usando dados empíricos e documentais, ilustra como as políticas e as práticas de alfabetização prevalentes no país, ao ignorarem os avanços científicos na área, vêm contribuindo, de forma deliberada, para os baixos níveis que caracterizam o desempenho dos alunos.
A formação inicial de professores para a educação básica: as licenciaturas
Authors: Gatti Bernardete A.
Published: July 2014

Este artigo aborda, com fundamento em pesquisas, a questão da formação inicial de professores para a educação básica em cursos de graduação. São apresentados dados quantitativos sobre as características desses cursos no Brasil. Evidencia-se a pouca procura de algumas formações e a migração dessa formação para propostas EAD, sobretudo no setor privado, que é responsável pela maioria das matrículas nesses cursos. Discutem-se análises qualitativas dos currículos das licenciaturas, as quais mostram a fragmentação entre a formação em área de conhecimento e a formação em educação e práticas de ensino, estas oferecidas de modo insuficiente para formar professores. Abordam-se algumas iniciativas governamentais intervenientes no âmbito dos estágios curriculares. O panorama é preocupante dada a insuficiência da formação oferecida para subsidiar a atuação de um profissional docente na educação básica.
Educação, trabalho e desenvolvimento
Authors: Pastore José
Published: July 2014

O propósito deste artigo é o de ressaltar a importância estratégica da educação para o desenvolvimento econômico e social do Brasil. Uma atenção especial é dada ao papel da educação de boa qualidade para elevar a produtividade do trabalho, que está estagnada há muitos anos no país. A produtividade média do trabalhador brasileiro é de apenas 20% da produtividade do americano. A rápida incorporação de avanços tecnológicos nos sistemas produtivos está a exigir profissionais que, além de terem uma boa capacitação em seus ofícios, tenham uma boa educação básica, que lhes permita dominar adequadamente a linguagem e a matemática, e bons conhecimentos gerais. O trabalho moderno é cada vez mais realizado em equipe, o que exige uma boa preparação.
Ensino médico no Brasil
Authors: Jatene Adib
Published: July 2014

O texto aborda a expansão e a distribuição das faculdades de medicina brasileiras, o seguro-saúde e a assistência médica no Brasil, o papel do SUS, o financiamento da saúde (setores público e privado). Analisa também a concentração e a falta de médicos no país, o Programa de Saúde da Família, a atuação de generalistas e especialistas no atendimento médico, a importação de profissionais, o papel da tecnologia no atendimento médico, a deficiência da formação profissional e a demanda brasileira por médicos.
Transmembrane Protein 55B Is a Novel Regulator of Cellular Cholesterol Metabolism
Authors: Medina Marisa W. , Bauzon Frederick , Naidoo Devesh , Theusch Elizabeth , Stevens Kristen , Schilde Jessica , Schubert Christian , Mangravite Lara M. , Rudel Lawrence L. , Temel Ryan E. , Runz Heiko , Krauss Ronald M.
Published: July 2014

Objective—

Interindividual variation in pathways affecting cellular cholesterol metabolism can influence levels of plasma cholesterol, a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Inherent variation among immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines from different donors can be leveraged to discover novel genes that modulate cellular cholesterol metabolism. The objective of this study was to identify novel genes that regulate cholesterol metabolism by testing for evidence of correlated gene expression with cellular levels of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (
HMGCR
) mRNA, a marker for cellular cholesterol homeostasis, in a large panel of lymphoblastoid cell lines.

Approach and Results—

Expression array profiling was performed on 480 lymphoblastoid cell lines established from participants of the Cholesterol and Pharmacogenetics (CAP) statin clinical trial, and transcripts were tested for evidence of correlated expression with
HMGCR
as a marker of intracellular cholesterol homeostasis. Of these, transmembrane protein 55b (
TMEM55B
) showed the strongest correlation (
r
=0.29;
P
=4.0E−08) of all genes not previously implicated in cholesterol metabolism and was found to be sterol regulated. TMEM55B knockdown in human hepatoma cell lines promoted the decay rate of the low-density lipoprotein receptor, reduced cell surface low-density lipoprotein receptor protein, impaired low-density lipoprotein uptake, and reduced intracellular cholesterol.

Conclusions—

Here, we report identification of
TMEM55B
as a novel regulator of cellular cholesterol metabolism through the combination of gene expression profiling and functional studies. The findings highlight the value of an integrated genomic approach for identifying genes that influence cholesterol homeostasis.
Links Between Ectopic Fat and Vascular Disease in Humans
Authors: Lim Soo , Meigs James B.
Published: July 2014

The average of overweight individual can have differential fat depots in target organs or specific compartments of the body. This ectopic fat distribution may be more of a predictive factor for cardiovascular risk than obesity. Abdominal visceral obesity, a representative ectopic fat, is robustly associated with insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk. Fat depots in the liver and muscle tissue cause adverse cardiometabolic risk by affecting glucose and lipid metabolism. Pericardial fat and perivascular fat affect coronary atherosclerosis, cardiac function, and hemodynamics. Fat around the neck is associated with systemic vascular resistance. Fat around the kidney may increase blood pressure and induce albuminuria. Fat accumulation in or around the pancreas alters glucose metabolism, conferring cardiovascular risk. Ectopic fat may act as an active endocrine and paracrine organ that releases various bioactive mediators that influence insulin resistance, glucose and lipid metabolism, coagulation, and inflammation, which all contribute to cardiovascular risk. Because both obese and apparently lean individuals can have ectopic fat, regional fat distribution may play an important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases in both nonobese and obese people.
Histone Deacetylase 9 Represses Cholesterol Efflux and Alternatively Activated Macrophages in Atherosclerosis Development
Authors: Cao Qiang , Rong Shunxing , Repa Joyce J. , Clair Richard St. , Parks John S. , Mishra Nilamadhab
Published: July 2014

Objective—

Recent genome-wide association studies revealed that a genetic variant in the loci corresponding to histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) is associated with large vessel stroke. HDAC9 expression was upregulated in human atherosclerotic plaques in different arteries. The molecular mechanisms how HDAC9 might increase atherosclerosis is not clear.

Approach and Results—

In this study, we show that systemic and bone marrow cell deletion of HDAC9 decreased atherosclerosis in LDLr
−/−
(low density lipoprotein receptor) mice with minimal effect on plasma lipid concentrations. HDAC9 deletion resulted upregulation of lipid homeostatic genes, downregulation of inflammatory genes, and polarization toward an M2 phenotype via increased accumulation of total acetylated H3 and H3K9 at the promoters of ABCA1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter), ABCG1, and PPAR-γ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) in macrophages.

Conclusions—

We conclude that macrophage HDAC9 upregulation is atherogenic via suppression of cholesterol efflux and generation of alternatively activated macrophages in atherosclerosis.
Species composition and timing of penaeid shrimp postlarvae (Decapoda, Penaeidae) in two zones of the Mexican Pacific coast
Authors: Félix-Ortiz José A. , Siu-Quevedo Manuel E. , Castañeda-Lomas Nicolás , Rodríguez-Domínguez Guillermo , Rodríguez-Montes de Oca Gustavo , Aragón-Noriega E. Alberto
Published: July 2014

The species composition and variation in density (postlarvae m−3) of penaeid shrimp postlarvae were surveyed every 14 days in two zones of the Mexican Pacific coast; in the north (Mazatlán, 23°N 106°W) and south (Gulf of Tehuantepec, 15°N 95°W). Sampling coincided with full moon and new moon, and they were carried out with plankton net (0.3 m mouth diameter and 450 μm mesh size). Average sea surface temperature (SST) for 1985-1995 increased from Mazatlán (26.2 ± 0.2°C) to Tehuantepec (28.3 ± 0.5°C). The difference in SST between the coldest and warmest month was 7.8°C in Mazatlán and 3.3°C in Tehuantepec. Four species of penaeid shrimp postlarvae were identified: Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931), L. stylirostris (Stimpson, 1874), Farfantepenaeus californiensis (Holmes, 1900) and F. brevirostris (Kingsley, 1878). There was a regional variation in the species composition. L. vannamei was abundant at both coasts with 40% and F. californiensis varied from south to north from 45 to 36%; the less representative species were L. stylirostris and F. brevirostris, which varied from south to north from 15 to 24%. The occurrence period near Mazatlán is seven months, and it is year-round in Tehuantepec. This study suggests that warm water and low seasonal SST variability facilitate the presence of the shrimp larvae over a longer period.
Reproductive biology of Polybius henslowii Leach, 1820 (Decapoda, Polybiidae): a discard species from the northwestern Portuguese beam trawl fishery
Authors: Magalhães L. , Felício M. , Gaspar M. B. , Quintino V. , Rodrigues A. M.
Published: July 2014

Polybius henslowii Leach, 1820, a Portunid crab distributed from the British Isles to Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea is caught in high densities by many types of fishing gear and frequently thrown back to the sea. Along the northern coast of Portugal, P. henslowii is an important species discarded in beam trawl fishery. There are no quantitative estimations of discards and very little is known about its biology, information that is needed to value this species. The present work was conducted from March 2007 to December 2010 in order to improve the current knowledge of the reproductive biology of P. henslowii. By-catches were registered aboard commercial vessels that volunteered to participate in the study. In that period P. henslowii represented 57.3% of the total catch and was present in all hauls analysed. The target species, Palaemon serratus (Pennant, 1777), represented 1.2% of the total catch, showing the low selectivity of the fishing gear and the need for suppression of this gear to catch this shrimp species. Differences in size between sexes were found, with males being larger and heavier than females. Mature females occurred mainly in autumn and the carapace width at which 50% of the females reach maturity was estimated to be 37.8 mm, which could be set as the minimum landing size of this potential exploitable resource. A macroscopic ovarian maturity stages classification was proposed, allowing a rapid field assessment of female sexual maturity. This study fills a gap in the knowledge of a very important species discarded in beam trawl fishery that may be basis of further work.
The Historical Background of the Highly Critical Perception of Christians by the Turkish Society
Authors: Haede Wolfgang
Published: July 2014

In Turkey, considered a secular and democratic role model for other countries with a Muslim majority, both state and society perceive Christians very critically. There are historical experiences and ideas that contribute to this surprising finding. In the Qur’an, the Holy Book of Muslims, Christians who do not accept the claim of Muhammad to be God’s prophet, are perceived as rebellious liars. Christians in early Islamic society were widely tolerated, but had a status as second-class-citizens. The Ottoman Empire as the front state against the Christian world and the savior of Sunni Islam widely tolerated Christians; thedhimmistatus of Christians as second-class-citizens however was continued in themillet-system. As the power of the Ottomans decreased and Western ideas of nationalism began to influence the Empire during the nineteenth century, the Muslim majority began a search for identity. Secessions of Christian peoples and interference by “Christian” foreign nations triggered more severe clashes between the remaining Christian population and the state. The wide-ranging activities of Western missionaries in the Ottoman Empire were perceived as a part of Western colonialism. During the transition from the Ottoman Empire to the Turkish Republic, the leaders of the Young Turk movement were motivated by their desperate battle to save a rest of the Empire as a homeland for the Muslim population. The perception of Christians as the enemy of the new Republic was more firmly established. Though Mustafa Kemal Atatürk gave a revolutionary modern and secular character to Turkey, there was an intentional Turkification of society. A study of Turkish newspapers confirms that these perceptions are widely valid until today. Missiology has to help develop an appropriate response of Christians to the situation inside and outside of Turkey.
Double Religious Belonging and Some Commonly Held Ideas about Dialogue and Conversion
Authors: Fridlund Patrik
Published: July 2014

There is often a perceived tension between dialogue on the one hand and conversion on the other hand. This article suggests that this tension may be related to religious conviction and religious belonging being seen as monolithic. A basic idea of this article is that there are suggestive empirical findings and relevant conceptual arguments about double religious belonging in a large sense, which lead to a profound questioning, which undermines established views of religion as comprehensive systems. This has implications for conceptions of dialogue and conversion. It is suggested that a consequence of taking into consideration double religious belonging in a broad sense is that established ideas of religions as comprehensive interpretative schemes are undermined. Instead, one would have to acknowledge the fragmented, partial, and contextual character of religion. Accordingly, interreligious dialogue and conversion must also be understood as diversified, variegated and fragmented phenomena. Dialogue is addressed to specific issues, in precise contexts, regarding particular concerns, and the same could generally be said of the aim to convert others.
Summary of Ethics for Enemies
Authors: Kamm Frances
Published: July 2014

In this essay, I summarize major points of my Ethics for Enemies. I first consider whether torture of a wrongdoer to save his victim could be permissible. In order to do this, I consider whether we may do comparable things to him while he is setting up a threat in order to stop his act, get him to stop it, or otherwise use him as he acts to stop harm to his victim. I also consider possible differences between harming the wrongdoer as he acts and after his act in order to help his victim. I next describe my view that the intention to harm and terrorize civilians need not make an act be terrorism or be morally impermissible. I consider what makes terrorism distinctively morally wrong and whether it is always impermissible. Finally, I describe my views that having a right reason is not necessary in order for starting a war to be morally just and that goods that are not part of a just cause may weigh in a proportionality calculation needed to determine if a war is just.
Opportunistic Terrorism
Authors: Uniacke Suzanne
Published: July 2014

This paper critically addresses two central aspects of Frances Kamm’s account of conceptual and evaluative issues of terrorism in ‘Terrorism and Intending Evil’, Ethics for Enemies (oup 2011), chapter 2. The paper engages with what Kamm says about cases in which an act done from a morally bad intention or motive overtly exactly mimics a justifiable act. I argue that in such a case, an actor’s intention to terrorise is more significant to the question of whether what he or she does is a terrorist act than Kamm allows. I also press considerations that run counter to Kamm’s view that in such cases an actor’s intention or motive is not directly relevant to the moral permissibility of actions that harm other people who are not otherwise liable to receive that type and degree of harm.
Kamm on Intention and Proportionality in War
Authors: Hurka Thomas
Published: July 2014

This paper discusses the novel versions of the right intention and proportionality conditions in the ius ad bellum proposed in Chapter 3 of Frances Kamm’s Ethics for Enemies. It argues that Kamm is right to weaken the right intention condition to require, not positively intending a war’s just cause, but only having that cause’s presence be a necessary condition for war, but wrong to place no limits on why one makes a just cause necessary. It then argues that the weakening she proposes of Jeff McMahan’s very strict interpretation of proportionality does not go far enough. She argues that “conditional just aims” such as disarming an aggressor and deterring future aggression can count toward a war’s proportionality only if they will follow from harms needed to achieve the war’s initial just cause but not if they require additional harms. The paper argues that such aims can justify additional harms.
Responses
Authors: Kamm Frances
Published: July 2014

In this essay I respond to commentators on Ethics for Enemies, including (1) Caspar Hare on torture and other harms imposed on an agent after his act, (2) Suzanne Uniacke on conceptual issues related to terrorism, (3) Thomas Hurka on right reason and proportionality conditions in the justice of going to war (jus ad bellum), (4) Jeff McMahan on liability, proportionality, and harm in jus ad bellum, and (5) Gabriella Blum and John Goldberg on the moral and legal status of action prompted by bad intentions.
First records of Nacerdes melanura (Linnaeus 1758) and Xanthochroina auberti (Abeille de Perrin 1876) (Coleoptera: Oedemeridae) from Israel
Authors: RITTNER OZ , NIR ASSAF
Published: July 2014

Nacerdes melanura (Linnaeus 1758) and Xanthochroina auberti (Abeille de Perrin 1876) are recorded from Israel for the first time.
An Analytical Model for Tropical Relative Humidity
Authors: Romps David M.
Published: July 2014

An analytical model is derived for tropical relative humidity using only the Clausius–Clapeyron relation, hydrostatic balance, and a bulk-plume water budget. This theory is constructed for radiative–convective equilibrium and compared against a cloud-resolving model. With some reinterpretation of variables, it can be applied more generally to the entire tropics.

Given four variables—pressure, temperature, and the fractional entrainment and detrainment rates—the equations predict the relative humidity (RH) and the temperature lapse rate analytically. The RH is a simple ratio involving the fractional detrainment rate and the water-vapor lapse rate. When integrated upward in height, the equations give profiles of RH and temperature for a convecting atmosphere.

The theory explains the magnitude of RH and the “C” shape of the tropospheric RH profile. It also predicts that RH is an invariant function of temperature as the atmosphere warms, and this behavior matches what has been seen in global climate models and what is demonstrated here with cloud-resolving simulations. Extending the theory to include the evaporation of hydrometeors, a lower bound is derived for the precipitation efficiency (PE) at each height: PE > 1 − RH. In a cloud-resolving simulation, this constraint is obeyed with the PE profile taking the shape of an inverted C shape.
A Comparison of Two Techniques for Generating Nowcasting Ensembles. Part I: Lagrangian Ensemble Technique
Authors: Atencia Aitor , Zawadzki Isztar
Published: July 2014

Lagrangian extrapolation of recent radar observations is a widely used deterministic nowcasting technique in operational and research centers. However, this technique does not account for errors due to changes in precipitation motion and to growth and decay, thus limiting forecasting skill. In this work these uncertainties have been introduced in the Lagrangian forecasts to generate different realistic future realizations (ensembles). The developed technique benefits from the well-known predictable large scales (low pass) and introduces stochastic noise in the small scales (high pass). The existence of observed predictable properties in the small scales is introduced in the generation of the stochastic noise. These properties provide realistic ensembles of different meteorological situations, narrowing the spread among members. Finally, some statistical spatial and temporal properties of the final set of ensembles have been verified to determine if the technique developed introduced enough uncertainty while keeping the properties of the original field.
Training Undergraduate Students to Use Challenges
Authors: Chui Harold , Hill Clara E. , Ain Stacie , Ericson Sara K. , Ganginis Del Pino Heather V. , Hummel Ann M. , Merson Erica S. , Spangler Patricia T.
Published: July 2014

After they learned exploration skills, 103 undergraduate helping skills students were taught to use challenges. Prior to training, students’ self-efficacy for using challenges did not change, although the quality of written challenges and reflections of feelings did. After training, students rated themselves as having more self-efficacy for using challenges and were judged as providing better written challenges, although there were no further changes in quality of written reflections of feelings. Students maintained self-efficacy for using challenges at a 5-week follow-up. Self-efficacy for using challenges increased after lecture, modeling, written practice, and lab group practice, but students indicated that practice was the most helpful training component. Natural helping ability predicted higher final levels of self-efficacy for using challenges. Qualitative results indicated that cultural background played a role in learning and using challenges.
Culturally Tailored Smoking Cessation for Adult American Indian Smokers
Authors: Smith Stevens S. , Rouse Leah M. , Caskey Mark , Fossum Jodi , Strickland Rick , Culhane J. Kevin , Waukau Jerry
Published: July 2014

This collaborative, community-engaged project developed and tested a Culturally Tailored Treatment (CTT) for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) smokers in the Menominee tribal community. One hundred three adult AI/AN smokers were randomized to receive either Standard Treatment (ST; n = 53) or CTT ( n = 50) for smoking cessation. Both treatment conditions included 12 weeks of varenicline and four individual counseling sessions but differed in terms of cultural tailoring of the counseling. The primary outcome was 7-day, biochemically confirmed point-prevalence abstinence (PPA) at the 6-month end-of-study visit. Both intention-to-treat (ITT) and responder-only analyses were conducted. There were no statistically significant group differences in 7-day PPA. The overall ITT abstinence rate at 6 months was 20%; the responder-only rate was 42%. The current study represents the first randomized smoking cessation clinical trial testing a culturally tailored smoking cessation intervention designed for a specific AI/AN tribal community that combined Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved cessation medication (varenicline) and innovative cultural intervention components.
Extremely rare presentation of Frantz’s tumour: synchronous localisation in the pancreatic head and tail
Authors: Jurić Ivo , Pogorelić Zenon , Stepan Jasminka Giljević , Kuzmić Ivana Prusac
Published: July 2014

Introduction

Solid pseudopapillary tumour of the pancreas is a rare lesion with low malignant potential occurring predominantly in young women. This is a report of an extremely rare occurrence of synchronous presentation of pseudopapillary tumour in the pancreatic head and tail of a 16-year-old female patient.

Case presentation

The patient presented with a three-month intermittent upper abdominal pain and swelling. Computed tomography scan showed two separate masses, involving the pancreatic head and tail. The patient underwent surgery, where successful tumour enucleation of both tumours was performed. Histological report confirmed solid pseudopapillary tumour of the pancreas with the low malignant potential.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of synchronous presentation of pseudopapillary tumour of the pancreas.
Effect of Psychosocial Skills Training on Functional Remission of Patients With Schizophrenia
Authors: Uzdil Nurcan , Tanrıverdi Derya
Published: July 2014

This study was conducted as a two-group pretest–posttest design to determine the effect of psychosocial skills training on functional remission levels of patients with schizophrenia. A total of 100 patients were divided into the training group ( n = 50) and the control group ( n = 50). The data were collected using a Personal Information Form and Functional Remission of General Schizophrenia (FROGS) scale. The 13-session training program was given in the form of face-to-face group training and 45- to 60-min sessions twice a week. Training was completed by five groups. Every group comprised of 9 to 12 individuals on average. The training group had higher scores significantly on functional remission levels compared with the control group after psychosocial skills training ( p < .001). Psychosocial skills training has become considerably effective in increasing the functional remission levels of patients with schizophrenia.
Untreated Head and Neck Surgical Disease in Sierra Leone: A Cross‐sectional, Countrywide Survey
Authors: Van Buren Nicholas C. , Groen Reinou S. , Kushner Adam L. , Samai Mohamed , Kamara Thaim B. , Ying Jian , Meier Jeremy D.
Published: July 2014

Objectives

Demonstrate how the Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need (SOSAS) can be used to determine the burden of head and neck (H&N) surgical disease in developing countries and identify reasons for untreated disease.

Study Design

Cluster randomized, cross‐sectional, countrywide survey.

Setting

Sierra Leone.

Subjects and Methods

The survey was administered to 75 of 9671 enumeration areas in Sierra Leone between January 9 and February 3, 2012, with 25 households in each cluster randomly selected for the survey. A household representative and 2 randomly selected household members were interviewed. Need for surgical care was based on participants’ responses to whether they had an H&N condition that they believed needed surgical care.

Results

Of 1875 households, data were analyzed for 1843 (98%), with 3645 total respondents. Seven hundred and one H&N surgical conditions were reported as occurring during the lifetime of the 3645 respondents (19.2%). The current prevalence of H&N conditions in need of a surgical consultation was 11.8%. No money (60.1%) was the most common reason respondents reported for not receiving medical care. A bivariate analysis demonstrated that age, village type, education, and type of condition may be predictors for seeking health care and/or receiving surgical care.

Conclusions

These results show limited access for patients to be evaluated for a potential H&N surgical condition in Sierra Leone. The true incidence of untreated surgical disease is unknown as most respondents were not evaluated by a surgeon. This survey could be used in other countries as health care professionals assess surgical needs throughout the world.
Left ventricle size quantification using non-contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography – association with cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery calcium score in the general population: The Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study
Authors: Dykun Iryna , Mahabadi Amir A , Lehmann Nils , Bauer Marcus , Moebus Susanne , Jöckel Karl-Heinz , Möhlenkamp Stefan , Erbel Raimund , Kälsch Hagen
Published: July 2014

Background

Increased left ventricular (LV) size is associated with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Once non-contrast cardiac computed tomography (CT) is performed for other purposes, information of LV size is readily available.

Purpose

To determine the association of gated CT-derived LV size with cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery calcification (CAC) and to describe age- and gender-specific normative values in a general population cohort.

Material and Methods

LV area was quantified from non-contrast-enhanced CT in axial, end-diastolic images at a mid-ventricular slice in participants of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study, free of known cardiovascular disease. LV index (LVI) was calculated by the quotient of LV area and body surface area (BSA). Crude and adjusted regression analyses were used to determine the association of LVI with risk factors and CAC.

Results

Overall, 3926 subjects (age 59 ± 8 years, 53% women) were included in this analysis. From quantification in end-diastolic phase, men had larger LV index (2232 ± 296 mm2/m2 vs. 2088 ± 251 mm2/m2, both P < 0.0001). LVI was strongly correlated systolic blood pressure (men, PE [95% CI]: 22.8 [15.5–30.2] mm2/10 mmHg; women, 23.4 [18.1–28.6]), and antihypertensive medication (men, 45.2 [14.7–75.8] mm2; women: 46.5 [22.7–70.2], all P < 0.005). Cholesterol levels were associated with LVI in univariate analysis, however, correlations were low (R2 ≤ 0.04). In multivariable regression, blood pressure, antihypertensive medication and cholesterol levels, remained associated with LVI ( P < 0.05). LVI was linked with CAC in unadjusted (men, increase of CAC + 1 by 13.0% [1.4–25.8] with increased LVI by 1 standard deviation of LVI, P = 0.03; women, 20.7% [10.0–32.3], P < 0.0001) and risk factor adjusted models (men, 14.6% [3.7–26.6], P = 0.007); women, 17.4% [7.8–27.8], P = 0.0002).

Conclusion

Non-contrast cardiac CT derived LV index is associated with body size and hypertension. LVI is weakly linked with CAC-score. Further studies need to evaluate whether assessment of LV dimensions from cardiac CT helps identifying subjects with increased cardiovascular risk.
A pathway from long-term care to adoption: findings from an Australian permanency programme
Authors: Tregeagle Susan , Moggach Lynne , Cox Elizabeth , Voigt Louise
Published: July 2014

Children who hope to be adopted from the care system frequently experience delays, unproductive disruption in attachments and difficulties locating new families. This article seeks to contribute to the search for effective adoption practice by exploring an approach developed in Australia, whereby restoration and ‘long-term foster care with the view to adoption’ are undertaken intensively but sequentially. When the child cannot return home, adoption is one of the options considered but no decision is made until a long-term foster family is well established. While planning happens concurrently, placements never have dual purposes and are therefore different from what is known as concurrent planning.

This study is based on an internal agency examination of adoption records over a 10-year period. Open adoptions were ultimately achieved for one-third of those who entered long-term care, and the children had a wide range of ages and included sibling groups and those with behavioural difficulties. Adoption took, on average, 4.4 years to finalise but there was wide variation in timeframes, with younger children being adopted more quickly. Perhaps most significantly, a permanent placement was found relatively soon for children of all ages, as they did not have to wait for a family willing to commit to adoption or endure lengthy legal proceedings. The adoption was most timely when both restoration and long-term care teams were managed within one agency (albeit in separate programmes). Furthermore, permanent families were located for children for whom adoption ultimately proved to be inappropriate.
Synthesis and characterization of new poly(aryl ether ketone)s bearing (4-phenoxyphenyl)triphenylmethane moieties
Authors: Li Xiao , Jiang Jian-Wen , Yu La-Mei , Liu Xiao-Ling , Sheng Shou-Ri
Published: July 2014

1,1-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-phenoxyphenyl)-1-phenylmethane (BHPPPPM), a new bisphenol monomer, was synthesized with 65% yield from 4-benzoyl diphenyl ether in a one-pot, two-step synthetic procedure. Four new poly(aryl ether ketone)s (PAEKs) bearing (4-phenoxyphenyl)triphenylmethane moieties were prepared from BHPPPPM with four difluorinated aromatic ketones via a nucleophilic substitution reaction. The polycondensation proceeded in tetramethylene sulfone in the presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate and afforded the new PAEKs in nearly quantitative yields with inherent viscosities of 0.60–0.78 dL g−1. The resulting PAEKs having number-average molecular weights in the range of 29,500–34,200 g mol−1 with the polydispersity index ranged from 1.94 to 2.01 are all amorphous and show high glass transition temperatures ranging from 174°C to 196°C, excellent thermal stability, and the temperatures at the 5% weight loss are over 500°C with char yields above 60% at 700°C under nitrogen atmosphere. These new PAEKs are all soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and N,N′-dimethylacetamide and could also be dissolved in chloroform and tetrahydrofuran. All the polymers formed transparent, strong, and flexible films with tensile strengths of 78–85 MPa, tensile moduli of 1.9–2.4 GPa, and elongations at break of 7–10%.
Generalized sliding mode with integrator controller design using a discrete linear model
Authors: Alipouri Yousef , Poshtan Javad , Ghaniee Zarch Majid
Published: July 2014

In this article, a method is proposed for designing a sliding mode controller using a discrete linear model for a class of nonlinear systems. In addition, the proposed discrete sliding mode controller is improved by adding an integral operator. The stability, robustness, and performance of the proposed controller are studied theoretically and empirically. One advantage of the proposed method is that the settling time of the proposed controller is lower than the classic one. Also, it is more robust. Other advantages of the proposed method are its simplicity in design, there is no need for physical equations of the nonlinear system, and it only requires the sampled operating data of outputs and control signals of the system. The proposed method has satisfactory results on experimental four-tank benchmark process.
The Construction of Play
Authors: Tulloch Rowan
Published: July 2014

Rules are often cited as one of the defining features of games; however, few precise definitions of rules exist and those that do are often self-contradictory and/or reductive. This article seeks to reconceptualize rules for both traditional and digital games, not as a series of restrictions to which the player must submit but rather as a relationship of power that functions through the player and through processes of construction. I argue that the restrictive model of rules is embedded within the liberal humanist paradigm, where power is understood as an external force operating on the subject. Building upon poststructuralist theorizations of power, I demonstrate that rather than operating through restriction, rules construct the possibility of the game, producing the game world and norms of play practice. Through this, I show that rules should not be understood in opposition to player agency, but rather as a contributor to, and product of it.
Recognizing the Intersections between Human Rights and the Environment in Legal Education and Training
Authors: Olawuyi Damilola S.
Published: July 2014

Ever since the 1972 Stockholm Declaration proclaimed that man’s natural and man-made environment are essential to his well-being and to the enjoyment of his basic human rights—especially the right to life itself—there has been a consensus amongst scholars that there is a link between the environment and human rights; that a clean environment is a sine qua non for the enjoyment of other human rights; and that without a clean environment, humankind may not live to enjoy the other recognized forms of rights such as the right to life and the right to education.

Despite this consensus, however, the human rights and environmental epistemic communities continue to operate largely as strange bedfellows. This is largely due to the perception, and most times the reality, that environmental administrators may lack the required training and skills to interpret, apply and mainstream human rights instruments and vice versa. This article discusses the reasons for this dichotomy. Principally, this persisting gap between both epistemic communities can be traced to a lack of a holistic education and training that introduces administrators on both sides of the divide to key instruments, resources, materials and training needed to holistically apply both instruments.

This article discusses the need to reflect the synergies between both divergent and convergent areas of law in teaching and research. As the world becomes ever more aware of how lack of environmental protection could threaten the enjoyment of human rights, there is a need to provide adequate education and training to law students in order to adequately prepare them to mainstream and apply environmental rights in their future careers. This article proposes and describes a specialized ‘human rights and environment seminar’ as an example of a course that could be introduced into the legal curriculum to further identify the cross-cutting linkages between environmental law, international law and human rights law. A draft curriculum on the content and nature of this seminar is proposed and discussed.
Effects of Music Instruction With Bamboo Xylophone Accompaniment on Singing Achievement Among Second-Grade Children
Authors: Simeon Jinky Jane C. , Ku Agnes Chun Moi
Published: July 2014

The aim of this research is to determine the effect of music instruction with bamboo xylophone as harmonic accompaniment on the singing achievement of second-grade children. Eighty children ( N = 80) from four randomly selected classes in two different public schools in the city of Kota Kinabalu participated in this study and they were assigned to two different groups: a control ( n = 40) and an experimental group ( n = 40). The results indicated that there was a significant difference in the singing achievement of the two groups when the pretest and posttest mean gain scores were compared. In addition, a higher percentage of children improved in the experimental group (30.17%) than in the control group (28.34%). Based on the result of the study, it can be concluded that children can be taught singing with bamboo xylophone accompaniment and that as a harmonic accompaniment, it may improve music instruction.
Inequalities and asymptotic expansions associated with the Wallis sequence
Authors: Lin Long , Deng Ji-En , Chen Chao-Ping
Published: July 2014

We present the asymptotic expansions of functions involving the ratio of gamma functions and provide formulas for determining the coefficients of the asymptotic expansions. As consequences, we obtain the asymptotic expansions of the Wallis sequence. Also, we establish inequalities for the Wallis sequence.

MSC:40A05, 33B15, 41A60, 26D15.
On the stability of the Cartesian product of a neural ring and an arbitrary neural network
Authors: Ivanov Sergey , Kipnis Mikhail , Medina Rigoberto
Published: July 2014

The stability of a system of neural networks connected to a ring has been studied extensively throughout recent years. Our main contribution within this work states that the stability region in the parameter space of a discrete-time model can be extended by breaking such a ring provided that there is a sufficiently large number of networks. Also, it has been shown that for a small ring, paradoxical values may appear within its parameter space for which such a ring is stable; meanwhile, corresponding linear configuration is unstable.

MSC:37B25.
A short tool to screen HIV-infected patients for mild neurocognitive disorders – a pilot study
Authors: Fasel Dominique , Kunze Ursula , Elzi Luigia , Werder Vreni , Niepmann Susanne , Monsch Andreas U , Schumacher Rahel , Battegay Manuel
Published: July 2014

Background

We aimed to evaluate the accuracy and acceptability of a short screening test battery for mild neurocognitive deficits.

Methods

HIV-infected individuals with a suppressed viral load were examined at the University Hospital Basel with a screening test consisting of a questionnaire and selected cognitive tests, administered by trained nurses, followed by an in-depth neuropsychological examination. Test acceptance was evaluated with a questionnaire.

Results

30 patients were included in this study (median age of 52.5 years (interquartile range (IQR) 47–64), prior AIDS-defining condition in 37%, median CD4 cell count 658 (IQR 497–814) cells/μl). Overall, 25 (83%) patients were diagnosed with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) on in-depth neuropsychological assessment (16 patients had asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI), 8 a mild neurocognitive disorder (MND) and 1 patient HIV-associated dementia (HAD). Among 25 patients with HAND, only 9 patients (36%) were complaining of memory loss. The screening battery revealed neurocognitive deficits in 17 (57%) patients (sensitivity 64%, specificity 80%, positive predictive value 94% and negative predictive value 31%). Most patients (83%) estimated the screening test as valuable and not worrisome.

Conclusions

A questionnaire combined with selected neuropsychological tests is a short, easy-to-perform very well accepted screening tool for mild neurocognitive disorders in asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals.