bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple Directional Differentiation Difference of Neonatal Rat Fibroblasts from Six Organs
Authors: Chang Yuqiao , Guo Kang , Li Qiong , Li Cixia , Guo Zhikun , Li He
Published: June 2016

Background/Aims: Fibroblasts are abundantly distributed throughout connective tissues in the body and are very important in maintaining the structural and functional integrity. Recent reports have proved that fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells share much more in common than previously recognized. The aim of this study was to investigate comparative studies in fibroblasts on the differences in the expression of molecular markers and differentiation capacity from different organs. Methods: Combined trypsin/collagenase enzymes digestion method was used to isolate and culture the fibroblasts derived from heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and skin. Cell activity was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Common molecular markers for fibroblasts such as vimentin, DDR2 and FSP1, stem cell markers nanog, c-kit and sca-1 were detected by RT-PCR, immunofluorescence and western blotting. The osteogenic, adipogenic and cardiogenic differentiations of fibroblasts were performed by inductive culture in special mediums, and analyzed by Alizarin red, Oil red O and immunofluorescence staining of cTnT respectively. Results: The proliferation rate of fibroblasts in lung was faster than in other five organs. Common molecular markers for fibroblasts were expressed differently in different organs. DDR2 was strongly expressed in fibroblasts in the heart, partly expressed in the heart, skin, liver and spleen. Interestingly, no expression of DDR2 was detected in liver and kidney. However, vimentin and FSP1 were consistently expressed in fibroblasts from skin, liver, kidney, spleen and lung. nanog expression in fibroblasts from lung was less than that from heart, skin, liver and spleen (P < 0.01). c-kit expression in fibroblasts from heart, skin and kidney was higher than that from spleen (P < 0.05), while the c-kit positive fibroblasts from liver was obviously higher than that from spleen (P < 0.01). But sca-1 expression in fibroblasts from lung was the lowest among six organs (P < 0.01). Directed differentiation in vitro had demonstrated that skin fibroblasts had the strongest multiple differentiation potential, and the next was cardiac fibroblasts. And fibroblasts in liver and kidney had the advantage in myocardial differentiation, while fibroblasts in spleen only had the advantage in osteogenic differentiation. Conclusions: There are obvious heterogeneity in molecular markers and muti-directional differentiation in fibroblasts from six organs.
New Material of the Hominoid Ouranopithecus macedoniensis from the Late Miocene of the Axios Valley (Macedonia, Greece) with Some Remarks on Its Sexual Dimorphism
Authors: Koufos George D. , de Bonis Louis , Kugiumtzis Dimitris
Published: June 2016

New hominoid teeth from the late Miocene locality Ravin de la Pluie (RPl) of the Axios Valley (Macedonia, Greece) are studied in this article. Their morphology, dimensions and proportions are similar to the hominoid Ouranopithecus macedoniensis, allowing their attribution to this taxon. The studied material provides some new morphological characters for the female P3 (small asymmetry, small mesiobuccal crown projection, paracone higher than protocone) and the lower canine (mesial groove: large in the male and small in the female, distobuccal fovea: large in the female and small in the male). The new material enriches the collection of O. macedoniensis. The estimated degree of sexual dimorphism of the RPl O. macedoniensis, calculated by the multivariate size dimorphism method, is compared with those of extant hominoids (Gorilla, Pan, Pongo) and of the late Miocene Lufengpithecus lufengensis from China, which is considered as more dimorphic than any living hominoid. The results suggest that Ouranopithecus multivariate size dimorphism for the premolar, molar and post-canine row is similar to those of Pongo and Lufengpithecus, slightly higher than that of Gorilla and clearly higher than that of Pan. Therefore, O. macedoniensis is apparently one of the most sexually dimorphic hominoids and the RPl assemblage is monospecific.
Evaluation of Nephroprotective Efficacy of Hypoxic Preconditioning in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Authors: Vesnina Zhaneta V. , Lishmanov Yury B. , Alexandrova Ekaterina A. , Nesterov Evgeniy A.
Published: June 2016

Background: Nonpulsatile blood flow plays an important role in the pathogenesis of renal dysfunction in patients with extracorporeal circulation. In our opinion, hypoxic preconditioning (HP) can be used to protect kidneys from postsurgical dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate nephroprotective efficacy of HP in myocardial revascularization with extracorporeal circulation. Methods: The randomized, controlled trial was performed in 63 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Thirty-three patients were subjected to HP during CABG; 30 patients were included in the comparison group. All patients underwent dynamic renal scintigraphy with 99mТc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and were subjected to measuring the concentration of lipocalin in blood serum before and after CABG. Results: After CABG, the mean values of the total glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and GFR for each kidney significantly decreased only in patients of the comparison group. Significant increases in the concentration of serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin occurred 5 h after surgery both in the group with HP (70.65 ± 46.71 to 127.58 ± 98.46 ng/ml) and in the comparison group (65.01 ± 38.64 to 171.65 ± 89.91 ng/ml). At the same time, the mean difference values between pre- and postoperative lipocalin levels were 56.94 ± 51.75 ng/ml in the study group and 106.64 ± 51.27 ng/ml in the comparison group; these differences were highly statistically significant (р = 0.004). Conclusion: The results of our study showed that (i) HP exerts nephroprotection in patients undergoing on-pump CABG, and (ii) determination of the lipocalin-2 level can be used for early diagnosis of acute kidney injury in cardiac surgery patients.
Paternal Age and Numerical Chromosome Abnormalities in Human Spermatozoa
Authors: Donate Anna , Estop Anna M. , Giraldo Jesús , Templado Cristina
Published: June 2016

This study explores the relationship between numerical chromosome abnormalities in sperm and age in healthy men. We performed FISH in the spermatozoa of 10 donors from the general population: 5 men younger than 40 years of age and 5 fertile men older than 60 years of age. For each chromosome, 1,000 sperm nuclei were analyzed, with a total of 15,000 sperm nuclei for each donor. We used a single sperm sample per donor, thus minimizing intra-donor variability and optimizing consistent analysis. FISH with a TelVysion assay, which provides data on aneuploidy of 19 chromosomes, was used in order to gain a more genome-wide perspective of the level of aneuploidy. Aneuploidy and diploidy rates observed in the younger and older groups were compared. There were no significant differences in the incidence of autosomal disomy, sex chromosome disomy, total chromosome disomy, diploidy, nor total numerical abnormalities between younger and older men. This work confirms that aneuploidy of the sex chromosomes is more common than that of autosomes and that this does not change with age. Our results suggest that some probe combinations have a tendency to indicate higher levels of diploidy, thus potentially affecting FISH results and highlighting the limitations of FISH.
Actual Status of Involvement of Helicobacter pylori Infection That Developed Gastric Cancer from Group A of ABC (D) Stratification - Study of Early Gastric Cancer Cases That Underwent Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection
Authors: Miura Ko , Okada Hiroyuki , Kouno Yoshiyasu , Kanzaki Hiromitsu , Iwamuro Masaya , Hori Keisuke , Kita Masahide , Kawano Seiji , Kawahara Yoshiro , Tanaka Takehiro , Yanai Hiroyuki
Published: June 2016

Background/Aims: Patients who are Helicobacter pylori antibody negative and have normal pepsinogen (PG) levels (group A of ABC (D) stratification) are considered unlikely to develop gastric cancer. This study aimed to clarify the involvement (uninfection, present infection or previous infection) of H. pylori in group A patients with early gastric cancer who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) by examining their background gastric mucosa endoscopically and histologically. Methods: This study included 166 patients with gastric cancer who were treated by ESD. Patients were classified according to PG levels and H. pylori antibody titers. Three biopsies (greater curvature of the antrum, lesser curvature of the middle corpus and greater curvature of the middle corpus) from group A were histologically analyzed and compared with those of groups B, C, D and after eradication). Results: In group A (34 patients), 32 patients had endoscopic atrophy (group A′). Histological neutrophil activity, chronic inflammation and atrophy scores were lower in group A′ than in other groups. Group A′ scores were similar to those of the after eradication group. Conclusion: Most of the group A patients with early gastric cancer were not uninfected with H. pylori, but had previous infections, thus carrying carcinogenic risk.
CONIFER - Non-Interventional Study to Evaluate Therapy Monitoring During Deferasirox Treatment of Iron Toxicity in Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients with Transfusional Iron Overload
Authors: Bruch Harald-Robert , Dencausse Yves , Heßling Jörg , Michl Gerlinde , Schlag Rudolf , Skorupa Alexandra , Schneider-Schranz Cornelia , Wolf Sebastian , Schulte Clemens , Tesch Hans
Published: June 2016

Background: The non-interventional study CONIFER was designed to assess the safety and clinical practicability of deferasirox for the treatment of transfusional iron overload in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. Methods: Patients included in the study were diagnosed with MDS and received at least 1 treatment with deferasirox. The observation period covered the time from the initial visit until the last follow-up. Results: The data of 99 patients with MDS scored mainly as International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) low and intermediate 1 were evaluated. The mean age of the participants was 75 years and 58% of the patients were male. Iron overload was assessed by serum ferritin level (mean baseline serum ferritin 2,080 ± 1,244 µg/l). Patients were treated for a mean duration of 16 months (mean daily dose at baseline 11.8 ± 7.0 mg/kg). Stratification of serum ferritin levels by deferasirox dose showed a reduction at the higher but no reduction at the lower dose (< 15 mg/kg vs. ≥ 15 mg/kg and < 20 mg/kg vs. ≥ 20 mg/kg). The majority of patients (81%) were affected by at least 1 adverse event, with decreased renal creatinine clearance being the most frequent. Conclusion: Higher doses (≥ 15 mg/kg) of deferasirox effectively and safely reduced serum ferritin levels in MDS patients with transfusional iron overload.
Impaired Frontolimbic Connectivity and Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Zhu Qingyong , Lin Meiqing , Bi Siwei , Ni Zhiyan , Zhao Jiuhan , Chen Boyu , Fan Guoguang , Shang Xiuli
Published: June 2016

Background/Aims: Depressive symptoms are commonly observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The underlying mechanisms of depressive symptoms in AD remain unclear; frontolimbic circuitry dysfunction may play a role. We aimed to investigate the microstructural integrity of frontolimbic connectivity of specific fiber tracts in AD patients with and without depressive symptoms using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods: Eleven AD patients with depressive symptoms (dep-AD), 18 AD patients without depressive symptoms (nondep-AD), and 18 normal control (NC) subjects were included. The cingulum bundle (CB), uncinate fasciculus (UF), and fornix, mainly frontolimbic connectivity, were measured by DTI tractography and the metrics of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity (RD) were calculated. Results: Compared with NC subjects, both dep-AD and nondep-AD patients showed significant differences for all indices in the fornix and significantly decreased FA and increased MD and RD in the bilateral CB and UF. When compared to nondep-AD patients, dep-AD patients showed significantly increased MD and RD in the bilateral CB and right UF. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms in AD patients may be involved in greater microstructural abnormalities of frontolimbic connectivity and myelin injury in the bilateral CB and right UF might contribute to the pathophysiology of depressive symptoms in AD.
Incidence of Transient Ischemic Attacks in Sweden
Authors: Tavosian Alborz , Ström Jakob O. , Appelros Peter
Published: June 2016

Background and Purpose: Stroke incidence may be on the decline in high-income countries. There may have been a shift from severe forms of cerebrovascular disease to less severe forms. No study regarding transient ischemic attack (TIA) incidence has been performed in Sweden since the 1980s. Methods: We used 2011 and 2012 data from the Swedish stroke register. A large proportion of Sweden's 72 hospitals took part in the TIA register, meaning that 63 (2011) and 66 (2012) percent of the entire population were studied. Results: The number of TIA-cases was 13,880. The number of first ever TIA cases was 9098, 4,675 in men, and 4,423 in women, comprising 66% of all TIAs. The crude overall IR for first ever TIA was 74 per 100,000. The age- and sex-standardized IRs were 73 per 100,000 when standardized to the European population of 2013, and 47 per 100,000 when standardized to the European population 1976. Conclusions: The TIA incidence in Sweden is high, and no decline is seen when compared with previous studies. Better prevention may have caused a shift from severe forms of cerebrovascular disease to less severe forms. For demographic reasons, the health services will most likely face an increasing number of TIA patients in the coming years.
Early, Isolated Duodenal Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma Presenting without Symptoms or Grossly Apparent Endoscopic Lesions and Diagnosed by Random Duodenal Biopsies
Authors: Gjeorgjievski Mihajlo , Makki Issa , Khanal Pradeep , Amin Mitual B. , Blenc Ann Marie , Desai Tusar , Cappell Mitchell S.
Published: June 2016

Clinical data regarding mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALToma) solely involving the duodenum are sparse because of the relative rarity of the disease. A comprehensive literature review revealed only 17 cases reported until 2004, and only a moderate number of cases have been reported since. MALToma can be asymptomatic in its very early stages but frequently produces localized or nonspecific symptoms, including early satiety, abdominal pain, vomiting, and involuntary weight loss in later stages. While gastric MALToma is strongly associated with gastric Helicobactor pylori infection, duodenal MALToma is often unassociated with H. pylori infection. A 74-year-old female presented with only dysphagia (without symptoms referable to a duodenal lesion), without systemic ‘B’ symptoms, and with no evident duodenal lesions at esophagogastroduodenoscopy; however, she was diagnosed with duodenal MALToma by pathologic examination of random duodenal biopsies performed to exclude celiac disease. An important clinical feature of this case is that duodenal MALToma was diagnosed by pathologic analysis of duodenal biopsies despite (1) no endoscopically apparent duodenal lesions; (2) duodenal involvement without gastric involvement; (3) lack of symptoms attributable to duodenal MALToma, and (4) absence of evident H. pylori infection. This work shows that early duodenal MALToma can be difficult to diagnose because of absent symptoms, absence of gastric involvement, absence of endoscopic abnormalities, and absence of H. pylori infection; it may require random duodenal biopsies for diagnosis.
Nadir’s Intimate Biography
Authors: Gagné Mathew
Published: June 2016

In Beirut, gay hook-up and mobile apps have become popular among men who want to arrange sex. These apps generate a new means for men to explore possibilities in their intimate lives, impacting the ways they create fantastical imaginaries of self, others, and sexual and social encounters. Focusing on the intimate biography of Nadir, in this paper I examine the relationship between fantasy and information in these media. I examine how Nadir exchanges, consumes and arranges information via media to create fantastical imaginaries about possible sex and pleasure, and to control possible outcomes in his intimate life. Once Nadir moves his interactions offline, he relies on information flows to evaluate the strength of his intimate relations. This article contributes to debates on the role of fantasy in digital cultures by examining how fantasy in digital media becomes informational, grounded to sociocultural systems of signification and communications and is negotiated within imaginative horizons of intimate possibilities.
Online Presentation of Gendered Selves among Young Women in Egypt
Authors: Jyrkiäinen Senni
Published: June 2016

Social media and Facebook in particular have become an important arena of social interaction and premarital romance in Egypt. In a society where dating can potentially harm the reputation of young women, a decent public image is considered valuable symbolic capital. This is especially true for brides-to-be. Many university-educated young women have found Facebook useful for impression management. It is necessary for them to mask aspects of their behavior that may be condemned as morally inappropriate and they have thus developed strategies for navigating through certain moral expectations about female sexual purity, virginity and modesty. I define the young women who edit their profiles in order to conform to the prevailing norms of decency, in Goffman’s terms, as ‘cynical performers’. As I show, the embellishment of the self is a pragmatic solution to the problem of coping with existing dating practices and conflicting norms of proper gender interaction, often understood as ‘Islamic’.
[RETRACTED] The Security Sector Reform in Macedonia: An Externally Driven Process?
Authors: Cierco Teresa Maria
Published: June 2016

This article analyzes the conditions and challenges for security sector reform (ssr) in Macedonia since 2001. One of the main pressures which the Western community has been able to wield for reform and for post-conflict normalization in Macedonia has been the conditional offer of integration into key Western organizations – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (nato) and the European Union (eu). In the absence of a widespread domestic consensus, the sustainability of ssr relies on the leverage that nato and the eu can bring to bear. But, with no date to begin negotiations with the eu and with the Greek veto to Macedonia entrance to nato, what can happen to ssr in the country? Moreover, how can local ownership of ssr be cultivated in Macedonia where the international community has played the lead role in initiating reform? Addressing ssr developments in Macedonia, the article surveys the challenges in two key component areas of the country’s security sector – armed forces and police – arguing that, without clear perspectives of joining nato or the eu in the near future, ssr in Macedonia is seriously compromised.
Das Gymnasium Francofurtanum – Kein Ort für Kunstbanausen
Authors: Ritter Carolin
Published: June 2016

In 1542, Frankfurt schoolmaster Jacobus Micyllus (1503–1558) composed an epigram in four elegiac couplets, entitled Inscriptio scholae Francofortensis. It pretends to be an inscription on the recently restored Barfüßerkloster, which was to house the school for the next three centuries. In the epigram, the school is depicted as a tranquil place of reflection and learning, in contrast to the wars raging outside the cloister walls. In this paper, the author will show how Micyllus places the Gymnasium Francofurtanum in the tradition of Plato’s Academy by alluding to the legendary inscription excluding all those ignorant of geometry from that institution. Micyllus modifies this idea by welcoming only those who worship the Greek and Latin muses. The Latin school thus becomes a retreat for those who wish to dedicate themselves fully to humanist education in Latin and Greek, sheltered from the turbulence and hostilities of the time.
Clausius–Clapeyron Scaling of CAPE from Analytical Solutions to RCE
Authors: Romps David M.
Published: June 2016

By deriving analytical solutions to radiative–convective equilibrium (RCE), it is shown mathematically that convective available potential energy (CAPE) exhibits Clausius–Clapeyron (CC) scaling over a wide range of surface temperatures up to 310 K. Above 310 K, CAPE deviates from CC scaling and even decreases with warming at very high surface temperatures. At the surface temperature of the current tropics, the analytical solutions predict that CAPE increases at a rate of about 6%–7% per kelvin of surface warming. The analytical solutions also provide insight on how the tropopause height and stratospheric humidity change with warming. Changes in the tropopause height exhibit CC scaling, with the tropopause rising by about 400 m per kelvin of surface warming at current tropical temperatures and by about 1–2 km K−1 at surface temperatures in the range of 320–340 K. The specific humidity of the stratosphere exhibits super-CC scaling at temperatures moderately warmer than the current tropics. With a surface temperature of the current tropics, the stratospheric specific humidity increases by about 6% per kelvin of surface warming, but the rate of increase is as high as 30% K−1 at warmer surface temperatures.
The Impact of Gradient Wind Imbalance on Tropical Cyclone Intensification within Ooyama’s Three-Layer Model
Authors: Frisius Thomas , Lee Marguerite
Published: June 2016

This paper addresses the validity of the gradient wind balance approximation during the intensification phase of a tropical cyclone in Ooyama’s three-layer model. For this purpose, the sensitivity to various model modifications is examined, given by the inclusion of (i) unbalanced dynamics in the free atmosphere, (ii) unbalanced dynamics in the slab boundary layer, (iii) a height-parameterized boundary layer model, and (iv) a rigid lid. The most rapid intensification occurs when the model employs the unbalanced slab boundary layer, while the simulation with the balanced boundary layer reveals the slowest intensification. The simulation with the realistic height-parameterized boundary layer model exhibits an intensification rate that lies in between. Intensification is induced by a convective ring in all experiments, but a distinct contraction of the radius of maximum gradient wind only takes place with unbalanced boundary layer dynamics. In all experiments the rigid lid and the balance approximation for the free atmosphere have no crucial impact on intensification, and a linear stability analysis cannot explain the found sensitivity to intensification. Most likely the nonlinear momentum advection term plays an important role in the boundary layer. It is found on the basis of a diagnostic radial mass flux equation that the source term for latent heat provides the largest contribution to intensification and contraction. Furthermore, it turns out that the position of the convective ring inside or outside of the radius of maximum gradient wind (RMGW) is of vital importance for intensification and most likely explains the large impact of boundary layer imbalance.
Understanding the Links between Subtropical and Extratropical Circulation Responses to Climate Change Using Aquaplanet Model Simulations
Authors: Shaw Tiffany A. , Voigt Aiko
Published: June 2016

Previous research has shown that subtropical and extratropical circulations are linked seasonally and in response to climate change. In particular, amplification (weakening) of subtropical stationary eddies is linked to a poleward (equatorward) shift of the extratropical circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. Here the mechanisms linking subtropical and extratropical circulation responses to climate change are examined using prescribed sea surface temperature aquaplanet simulations with a subtropical zonal asymmetry that mimics land–ocean contrasts. A poleward circulation shift occurs in response to uniform global warming even in the presence of subtropical stationary eddies. Subtropical stationary eddies exhibit a weak response to global warming; however, regional warming of temperature (or equivalent potential temperature) over land (ocean) increases (decreases) stationary eddy amplitude and shifts the extratropical circulation poleward (equatorward), consistent with comprehensive models. The stationary eddy response to regional warming is connected to regional moist entropy gradient, energy input to the atmosphere, and gross moist stability changes. Stationary eddy amplitude changes directly affect momentum and moist static energy transport following linear wave and mixing length theories. The transport changes do not follow a fixed-diffusivity framework. Extratropical transient eddy transport changes compensate ~70%–90% of the subtropical stationary eddy transport response. This assumes exact subtropical compensation accounts for a large fraction of the meridional shift of the extratropical circulation in response to regional climate change.
Nowcasting with Data Assimilation: A Case of Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation
Authors: Otsuka Shigenori , Kotsuki Shunji , Miyoshi Takemasa
Published: June 2016

Space–time extrapolation is a key technique in precipitation nowcasting. Motions of patterns are estimated using two or more consecutive images, and the patterns are extrapolated in space and time to obtain their future patterns. Applying space–time extrapolation to satellite-based global precipitation data will provide valuable information for regions where ground-based precipitation nowcasts are not available. However, this technique is sensitive to the accuracy of the motion vectors, and over the past few decades, previous studies have investigated methods for obtaining reliable motion vectors such as variational techniques. In this paper, an alternative approach applying data assimilation to precipitation nowcasting is proposed. A prototype extrapolation system is implemented with the local ensemble transform Kalman filter and is tested with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) product. Data assimilation successfully improved the global precipitation nowcasting with the real-case GSMaP data.
Seasons of Stress: Understanding the Dynamic Nature of People’s Ability to Respond to Change and Surprise
Authors: Penn Henry J. F. , Gerlach S. Craig , Loring Philip A.
Published: June 2016

Climate change is impacting coastal communities in rural Alaska in multiple direct and indirect ways. Here, findings are reported from ethnographic research done with municipal workers, community leaders, and other local experts in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska, where it is found that climate change is interacting with local social and environmental circumstances in ways more nuanced than are generally captured by frameworks for vulnerability analysis. Specifically, the research herein shows the importance of the temporal dimension of vulnerability to environmental change in rural Alaska, both in terms of temporal patterns that emerge from climate-driven stressors and also with respect to how, and under what conditions, people in rural communities may design or manage effective responses to change. There are multiple factors that play into how rural communities will be affected by some climatic or environmental stress; ultimately, the impacts of climatic and environmental stressors will differ depending on where, when, and how frequently they occur. To capture these interactions, two analytical concepts—community capacity and cumulative effects—are discussed and then incorporated into a visual tool for improved planning and vulnerability analysis.
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) in a Novel Molten Salt Aerosol System
Authors: Williams Ammon N. , Phongikaroon Supathorn
Published: June 2016

In the pyrochemical separation of used nuclear fuel (UNF), fission product, rare earth, and actinide chlorides accumulate in the molten salt electrolyte over time. Measuring this salt composition in near real-time is advantageous for operational efficiency, material accountability, and nuclear safeguards. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been proposed and demonstrated as a potential analytical approach for molten LiCl–KCl salts. However, all the studies conducted to date have used a static surface approach which can lead to issues with splashing, low repeatability, and poor sample homogeneity. In this initial study, a novel molten salt aerosol approach has been developed and explored to measure the composition of the salt via LIBS. The functionality of the system has been demonstrated as well as a basic optimization of the laser energy and nebulizer gas pressure used. Initial results have shown that this molten salt aerosol–LIBS system has a great potential as an analytical technique for measuring the molten salt electrolyte used in this UNF reprocessing technology.
La rima in Bosco di Eva di Carlo Levi
Authors: Cascio Gandolfo
Published: June 2016

L’oggetto dell’analisi di questo saggio è la rima così come viene messa in atto in una delle raccolte poetiche di Carlo Levi: Bosco di Eva. Attraverso un close reading delle poesie si comprende l’importanza della metrica su tre livelli: quello strutturale, quello simbolico e quello letterario all’interno del gruppo di scrittori ‘antinovecenteschi’, intenti a un recupero della tradizione. Per quanto qui ci si concentri su un numero esiguo di testi, l’esame – così come viene suggerito dal metodo dell’ hermeneutischer Zirkel – si intende valido per l’intero corpus leviano.
What Can We Learn from Mainstream Education Textbook Research?
Authors: Harwood Nigel
Published: June 2016

Although there is an ever-growing volume of research focused on TESOL textbooks (or coursebooks, as they are sometimes known), I argue that the TESOL research community should pay more attention to textbook research in mainstream education, that is, to the work of those scholars who focus on L1 rather than L2 education, given that there is a rich, methodologically sound tradition of L1 textbook research from which we can usefully learn lessons. I support this argument by describing in detail three exemplary empirical studies of textbooks from mainstream education, identifying how they can inspire and strengthen TESOL research.
Recurrent Sertoli–Leydig cell tumor of ovary in 8-year-old girl
Authors: Turkyilmaz Zafer , Karabulut Ramazan , Ozbakir Fatma , Pinarli Guclu , Arda Inan Mehmet , Oguz Aynur , Sonmez Kaan
Published: June 2016

Sertoli–Leydig cell tumors are rare sex cord-stromal neoplasms that account for <0.2% of ovarian tumors. These tumors with a retiform pattern pose difficult diagnostic problems, with the majority of being misinterpreted as serous papillary cystadenocarcinoma and endodermal sinus tumor. We report an 8-year-old female patient presented to our institution with a huge mass and pain in the lower abdomen and recurrence in the 10th months following the first operation. Only four cases of Sertoli–Leydig cell tumors have been reported under age of the eight years in the literature so far. It is difficult to define the stage and the morphology of Sertoli–Leydig cell tumors with retiform pattern in children and chemotherapy or radiotherapy administration is contraversial. However, fertility sparing surgeries should be considered as a first treatment choice on the time of the diagnosis and the recurrence.
2022 Qatar World Cup: Impact Perceptions among Qatar Residents
Authors: Al-Emadi A. , Kaplanidou K. , Diop A. , Sagas M. , Le K. T. , Al-Ali Mustafa S.
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how the impacts from the 2022 World Cup preparations in Qatar influenced local residents’ attitudes, personal and community quality of life perceptions, excitement about hosting the event, and support toward the event. The examination of the way mega sport event impacts influence residents’ perceptions of personal and community quality of life is lacking in the literature. Data were collected using systematic sampling in October 2014 from Qatari nationals and white-collar expatriates. Overall, 2,163 interviews with Qatari nationals (1,058) and white-collar expatriates (1,105) were completed. The results revealed that eight years before the event, sociocultural impacts were the most influential type of impact for residents’ attitudes toward the event, community and personal quality of life, excitement about the event, and support of the FIFA decision to host the event in Qatar.
The design, pedagogy and practice of an integrated public affairs leadership course
Authors: Sandfort Jodi , Gerdes Kevin
Published: June 2016

Current world events demand public affairs leadership training that generates among professionals a sense of capability, agency, and responsibility to engage in complex public problems. In this paper, we describe a unique course operated in the US focused on achieving these learning outcomes. It uses an unconventional schedule and course design that leverages information communication technologies to support learning. Its integrated model combines conventionally distinct courses with a pedagogical approach stressing experiential learning, personal reflection, and critical thinking. The paper describes the teaching practices used in the course, as well as offers three sources of evidence about what results from its implementation.
Physiochemical properties and reproducibility of air-based sodium tetradecyl sulphate foam using the Tessari method
Authors: Watkins Mike R , Oliver Richard J
Published: June 2016

Objectives

The objectives were to examine the density, bubble size distribution and durability of sodium tetradecyl sulphate foam and the consistency of production of foam by a number of different operators using the Tessari method.

Methods

1% and 3% sodium tetradecyl sulphate sclerosant foam was produced by an experienced operator and a group of inexperienced operators using either a 1:3 or 1:4 liquid:air ratio and the Tessari method. The foam density, bubble size distribution and foam durability were measured on freshly prepared foam from each operator.

Results

The foam density measurements were similar for each of the 1:3 preparations and for each of the 1:4 preparations but not affected by the sclerosant concentration. The bubble size for all preparations were very small immediately after preparation but progressively coalesced to become a micro-foam (<250 µm) after the first 30 s up until 2 min. Both the 1% and 3% solution foams developed liquid more rapidly when made in a 1:3 ratio (37 s) than in a 1:4 ratio (45 s) but all combinations took similar times to reach 0.4 ml liquid formation. For all the experiments, there was no statistical significant difference between operators.

Conclusions

The Tessari method of foam production for sodium tetradecyl sulphate sclerosant is consistent and reproducible even when made by inexperienced operators. The best quality foam with micro bubbles should be used within the first minute after production.
Eliciting Stated Health Preferences
Authors: Johnson F. Reed , Desvousges William H. , Ruby Melissa C. , Stieb David , De Civita Paul
Published: June 2016

The economic analysis of many health policies requires evaluation of the benefits of programs that may prolong human lives. This article contributes to the development of credible values for longevity, demonstrating the feasibility of applying stated-pref erence market-research techniques to a new area of preference revelation and framing the problem as extending longevity under realistic health states associated with ad vanced age. Respondents to the authors' stated-preference survey clearly indicated that quality of life affects the value of quantity of life. The results demonstrate the sensitivity of life-extension values to specific health and activity-limitation conditions. The article also discusses problems that remain to be solved before valid and reliable longevity values can be obtained. Key words: health preference elicitation; longevity; willingness to pay; market research; quality of life; policy. (Med Decis Making 1998; 18 suppl:S57-S67)
Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of thyroid nodules: factors affecting diagnostic outcomes and confounding variables
Authors: Kavanagh John , McVeigh Niall , McCarthy Eoghan , Bennett Kathleen , Beddy Peter
Published: June 2016

Background

The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing in men and women. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is an accepted technique to assess thyroid nodules but is associated with a high rate of non-diagnostic sampling.

Purpose

To assess the diagnostic performance of ultrasound-guided FNA of thyroid nodules and identify factors associated with non-diagnostic sampling.

Material and Methods

A retrospective review of thyroid FNAs was performed between 2006 and 2013. Patient demographics, nodule characteristics, procedural technique, cytology, and complications were recorded. Cytology was categorized THY1-5 based on the British Thyroid Association guidelines. Descriptive and multivariable analysis were conducted to identify factors associated with non-diagnostic sampling.

Results

A total of 724 procedures were identified with 597 (82.5%) in women, and an overall mean age of 40 years (age range, 17–87 years). Factors associated with a non-diagnostic outcome in the multivariable regression analysis included increasing lesion depth (OR, 1.05 per mm; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.007–1.10), age (OR, 1.012 per year; 95% CI, 1.0–1.025) and number of FNA passes (1 vs. 4+; OR, 6.07; 95% CI, 2.27–16.21). The complication rate was 1.1% related to perilesional hematomas and vaso-vagal episodes.

Conclusion

Thyroid FNA is a safe and reliable procedure for cytological assessment of thyroid nodules. Deeper nodules and older patients are more likely to have non-diagnostic samples.
A new MRI grading system for chondromalacia patellae
Authors: Özgen Ali , Taşdelen Neslihan , Fırat Zeynep
Published: June 2016

Background

Chondromalacia patellae is a very common disorder. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to investigate patellar cartilage lesions, there is no descriptive MRI-based grading system for chondromalacia patellae.

Purpose

To propose a new MRI grading system for chondromalacia patellae with corresponding high resolution images which might be useful in precisely reporting and comparing knee examinations in routine daily practice and used in predicting natural course and clinical outcome of the patellar cartilage lesions.

Material and Methods

High resolution fat-saturated proton density (FS PD) images in the axial plane with corresponding T2 mapping images were reviewed. A detailed MRI grading system covering the deficiencies of the existing gradings has been set and presented on these images. Two experienced observers blinded to clinical data examined 44 knee MR images and evaluated patellar cartilage changes according to the proposed grading system. Inter- and intra-rater validity testing using kappa statistics were calculated.

Results

A descriptive and detailed grading system with corresponding FS PD and T2 mapping images has been presented. Inter-rater agreement was 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71–0.89). Intra-rater agreements were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.74–0.91) for observer A and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.70–0.88) for observer B (k-values).

Conclusion

We present a new MRI grading system for chondromalacia patellae with corresponding images and good inter- and intra-rater agreement which might be useful in reporting and comparing knee MRI examinations in daily practice and may also have the potential for using more precisely predicting prognosis and clinical outcome of the patients.
Delayed absorption of many (paracetamol, aspirin, other NSAIDs and zolmitriptan) but not all (sumatriptan, rizatriptan) drugs during migraine attacks and most likely normal gastric emptying outside attacks. A review
Authors: Tfelt-Hansen Peer Carsten
Published: June 2016

Background

In most pharmacokinetic studies, the oral absorption of drugs is impaired during migraine attacks but exceptions occur. A study on gastric emptying using gastric scintigraphy indicated that gastric stasis also occurs interictally in migraine. These studies were reviewed critically.

Results

In seven studies, mainly investigating NSAIDs and analgesics, the early absorption of the drugs during 112 migraine attacks was delayed. The absorption of sumatriptan is usual in therapeutic doses, and rizatriptan was normal during 131 migraine attacks. The interictal gastric stasis observed using gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) with solids ( n = 13) could not be confirmed in a larger study ( n = 27) using the same method. Also gastric emptying measured with GES with liquids ( n = 7) and epigastric impedance ( n = 64) was normal outside migraine attacks.

Conclusions and possible clinical implications

Drug absorption is not generally impaired during migraine attacks. Gastric emptying is most likely normal in the majority of migraine patients outside attacks. Prokinetic and antiemetic drugs such as metoclopramide and domperidone should not be routinely combined with oral analgesics or oral triptans. If, however, nausea is severe or vomiting occurs, treatment with an antiemetic with proven efficacy on the nausea of migraine can be indicated.
Measuring Poverty for Food Security Analysis
Authors: Hjelm Lisa , Mathiassen Astrid , Wadhwa Amit
Published: June 2016

Background:

Poverty and food insecurity are intrinsically linked as poor households often lack the resources required to access sufficient nutritious food to live an active and healthy life. Consumption and expenditure surveys are typically used to identify poor versus nonpoor households but are detailed and costly. Measures of wealth based on asset ownership and housing characteristics can be generated from lighter, less costly surveys.

Objective:

To examine whether indices based on asset ownership and housing characteristics (stock) complement household consumption (flow) when used to analyze inequalities in food security outcomes.

Methods:

Comprehensive data from Nepal, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Madagascar are used to examine correlations and overlaps in classification between indices of household wealth and consumption per capita. Inequality in food security indicators representing quantity, quality, and vulnerability is examined across wealth and consumption per capita quintiles.

Results:

Wealth indices are correlated with consumption per capita, with coefficients between 0.5 and 0.6. The prevalence of food insecurity decreases from poorer to wealthier quintiles for all variables and for all food security measures in all countries. Energy deficiency varies much more across consumption quintiles than wealth index quintiles. Interestingly, inequalities in the share of consumption of food are more pronounced across the wealth index quintiles than per capita consumption.

Conclusion:

Although wealth indices and consumption per capita are related and both are drivers of food security, they cannot be used interchangeably for food security analysis. Each inequality measure is important for describing different aspects of food security.
Barriers to Independently Accessing Care Among Detention Youth
Authors: Udell Wadiya , Mohammed Selina , Breland David
Published: June 2016

Youth in juvenile detention suffer from various health disparities that warrant access to health and mental health care. Although adjudicated youth receive health care while detained, many are disconnected from youth-serving institutions that may facilitate access to care when in the community. Examining the unique challenges impacting detention youth’s independent access to health services has the potential to improve health care services for this high-risk population. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 detention youth, and five health professionals serving justice-involved youth to identify barriers preventing detention youth from independently accessing care. Individual-level and structural barriers were identified. Individual-level barriers included youth’s lack of knowledge in a variety of areas, including fear, disinterest, and instability. Structural barriers included clinic restrictions on when patients can access services, challenging scheduling processes, and difficult interactions with clinic staff and providers. Several barriers limiting detention youth’s ability to independently access care were identified. Based on study findings, programs fostering health care utilization among detention youth should address both individual-level factors and structural factors.
School Psychology in New Brunswick in 2016
Authors: Mureika Juanita
Published: June 2016

School psychology in New Brunswick experienced a surge of growth and development in the early part of the 21st century; however, dwindling numbers and recent government initiatives are presenting serious challenges to our ability to continue to provide the quality tiered services that we want to offer to the school community.
Nutrition and Immune‐Modulatory Intervention in Surgical Patients With Gastric Cancer
Authors: Dias Rodrigues Viviane , Barroso de Pinho Nivaldo , Abdelhay Eliana , Viola João P. B. , Correia Maria Isabel , Brum Martucci Renata
Published: June 2016

This study evaluated the effect of an immune‐modulatory diet on patients with gastric cancer and identified the parameters associated with postoperative outcomes. This was a single‐arm prospective intervention study. At baseline, patients were assessed for nutrition (Patient‐Generated Subjective Global Assessment), inflammatory markers (albumin, C‐reactive protein, and interleukin 6 [IL‐6]), and immune markers (percentage NK, CD4, CD8, and CD4:CD8 ratio); they also received nutrition counseling and high‐calorie/protein supplement. A week before surgery, they were assessed for nutrition and inflammatory/immune markers and started on an immune‐modulatory supplement until the day before surgery, when they were evaluated again. On the second postoperative day, patients were assessed for inflammatory/immune parameters, and a final nutrition evaluation was performed until the day of discharge. Complications were recorded daily and up to 30 days after discharge. Thirty‐seven patients (60 ± 10 years old) were included, and 57% were classified as malnourished. Maintenance of nutrition and immune parameters occurred throughout the study period, but we found a preoperative increase in C‐reactive protein (0.1–1.5 mg/dL) and IL‐6 (2.0–14.2 pg/mL) and a postoperative increase in the CD4:CD8 ratio (2.3 ± 1.0). Complications and death were seen in 35%, especially patients with higher preoperative IL‐6 (2.2–46 pg/mL), lower CD4:CD8 ratio (1.7 ± 0.5), and lower protein (1.2 ± 0.5 g/kg/d) and calorie intake (1552 ± 584 kcal/kg/d). The high‐calorie/protein supplementation with the immune‐modulating diet was able to maintain the nutrition and immune status of patients with gastric cancer.
More than convenience: the role of habitus in understanding the food choices of fast food workers
Authors: Woodhall-Melnik Julia , Matheson Flora I
Published: June 2016

This article explores the consumption practices of fast food workers through the lens of Bourdieu, specifically his notion of habitus. The authors address a gap in knowledge in the field of fast food work and explore the ways that the family environment and social relationships outside the family shape adult food choices using qualitative interviews with 40 fast food workers. Most fast food workers eat fast food when they are at work but their consumption patterns and choices reflect familial, cultural and class-based eating patterns and learning in adult social relationships (e.g., eating practices with friends). Some engage in a deliberate (conscious) process in their eating habits. The findings suggest that structure, disposition and conscious thought may influence food consumption.