bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A proof of principle experiment: Structural transitions in self-healing poly (ethylene co-methacrylic acid) ionomers using acoustic and ultrasonic time dependent resonant spectroscopy
Authors: Pestka K. A. , Kalista S. J. , Ricci A.
Published: August 2013

We demonstrate a method for assessing structural transitions in self-healing poly (ethylene co-methacrylic acid) ionomers as a function of time, by observing the evolution of their acoustic and ultrasonic resonant spectra and associated quality factors during the post-damage healing phase. Two samples composed of EMAA-0.6Na and EMAA-0.3Na were scanned from 1 kHz to 2 MHz before and after a damage event. After damage, time varying resonances were discovered using time dependent resonant spectroscopy (TDRS), and several of these resonances continued to evolve after visible changes in the samples ceased. These time dependent resonances enable characterization of energy dissipation, relaxation and structural ordering in self-healing ionomers. In addition, TDRS may provide a method for isolating material properties that affect the healing process, such as ion content and their associated structures as well as the effect of sample aging, which may lead to improved structural models.
Image Regions Contributing to Perceptual Translucency: A Psychophysical Reverse-Correlation Study
Authors: Nagai Takehiro , Ono Yuki , Tani Yusuke , Koida Kowa , Kitazaki Michiteru , Nakauchi Shigeki
Published: August 2013

The spatial luminance relationship between shading patterns and specular highlight is suggested to be a cue for perceptual translucency (Motoyoshi, 2010). Although local image features are also important for translucency perception (Fleming & Bulthoff, 2005), they have rarely been investigated. Here, we aimed to extract spatial regions related to translucency perception from computer graphics (CG) images of objects using a psychophysical reverse-correlation method. From many trials in which the observer compared the perceptual translucency of two CG images, we obtained translucency-related patterns showing which image regions were related to perceptual translucency judgments. An analysis of the luminance statistics calculated within these image regions showed that (1) the global rms contrast within an entire CG image was not related to perceptual translucency and (2) the local mean luminance of specific image regions within the CG images correlated well with perceptual translucency. However, the image regions contributing to perceptual translucency differed greatly between observers. These results suggest that perceptual translucency does not rely on global luminance statistics such as global rms contrast, but rather depends on local image features within specific image regions. There may be some “hot spots” effective for perceptual translucency, although which of many hot spots are used in judging translucency may be observer dependent.
Fast Lemons and Sour Boulders: Testing Crossmodal Correspondences Using an Internet-Based Testing Methodology
Authors: Woods Andy T. , Spence Charles , Butcher Natalie , Deroy Ophelia
Published: August 2013

According to a popular family of hypotheses, crossmodal matches between distinct features hold because they correspond to the same polarity on several conceptual dimensions (such as active–passive, good–bad, etc.) that can be identified using the semantic differential technique. The main problem here resides in turning this hypothesis into testable empirical predictions. In the present study, we outline a series of plausible consequences of the hypothesis and test a variety of well-established and previously untested crossmodal correspondences by means of a novel internet-based testing methodology. The results highlight that the semantic hypothesis cannot easily explain differences in the prevalence of crossmodal associations built on the same semantic pattern (fast lemons, slow prunes, sour boulders, heavy red); furthermore, the semantic hypothesis only minimally predicts what happens when the semantic dimensions and polarities that are supposed to drive such crossmodal associations are made more salient (e.g., by adding emotional cues that ought to make the good/bad dimension more salient); finally, the semantic hypothesis does not explain why reliable matches are no longer observed once intramodal dimensions with congruent connotations are presented (e.g., visually presented shapes and colour do not appear to correspond).
In Pursuit of Perspective: Does Vertical Perspective Disambiguate Depth from Motion Parallax?
Authors: George Jonathon M , Johnson Joshua I , Nawrot Mark
Published: August 2013

Motion parallax provides a dynamic, unambiguous, monocular visual depth cue. However, the lateral image motion in computer-generated motion parallax displays is depth-sign ambiguous. While mounting evidence indicates that the visual system uses an extra-retinal signal from the pursuit system to disambiguate depth, vertical perspective is a potential confound because it co-varies with the stimulus translation that produces the pursuit signal. Here the role of an extra-retinal pursuit signal and the role of vertical perspective in disambiguating depth from motion parallax were investigated. Through the careful isolation of each cue, the results indicate that observers have excellent depth discrimination with an extra-retinal pursuit cue alone, but have poor discrimination with vertical perspective alone. The conclusion is that vertical perspective does not play a role in the disambiguation of depth in small computer-generated motion parallax displays.
Anti-Extinction in the Tactile Modality
Authors: White Rebekah C , Davies Anne M Aimola
Published: August 2013

Patients with extinction fail to report a contralesional stimulus when it is presented at the same time as an ipsilesional stimulus, and patients with unilateral neglect fail to report a contralesional stimulus even when there is no competing ipsilesional stimulus. Whereas extinction and neglect are common following stroke, the related phenomenon of anti-extinction is rare—there are four cases of anti-extinction in the literature, and all four cases demonstrated anti-extinction in the visual modality. Patients with anti-extinction do report a contralesional stimulus when it is presented at the same time as an ipsilesional stimulus; but, like patients with neglect, they fail to report a contralesional stimulus when there is no competing ipsilesional stimulus. We present the first case of anti-extinction in the tactile modality.
Working memory supports inference learning just like classification learning
Authors: Craig Stewart , Lewandowsky Stephan
Published: August 2013

Recent research has found a positive relationship between people's working memory capacity (WMC) and their speed of category learning. To date, only classification-learning tasks have been considered, in which people learn to assign category labels to objects. It is unknown whether learning to make inferences about category features might also be related to WMC. We report data from a study in which 119 participants undertook classification learning and inference learning, and completed a series of WMC tasks. Working memory capacity was positively related to people's classification and inference learning performance.
When does Information about Causal Structure Improve Statistical Reasoning?
Authors: McNair Simon , Feeney Aidan
Published: August 2013

Base rate neglect on the mammography problem can be overcome by explicitly presenting a causal basis for the typically vague false-positive statistic. One account of this causal facilitation effect is that people make probabilistic judgements over intuitive causal models parameterized with the evidence in the problem. Poorly defined or difficult-to-map evidence interferes with this process, leading to errors in statistical reasoning. To assess whether the construction of parameterized causal representations is an intuitive or deliberative process, in Experiment 1 we combined a secondary load paradigm with manipulations of the presence or absence of an alternative cause in typical statistical reasoning problems. We found limited effects of a secondary load, no evidence that information about an alternative cause improves statistical reasoning, but some evidence that it reduces base rate neglect errors. In Experiments 2 and 3 where we did not impose a load, we observed causal facilitation effects. The amount of Bayesian responding in the causal conditions was impervious to the presence of a load (Experiment 1) and to the precise statistical information that was presented (Experiment 3). However, we found less Bayesian responding in the causal condition than previously reported. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our findings and the suggestion that there may be population effects in the accuracy of statistical reasoning.
Reevaluating the Implications of Decision-Making Models
Authors: Masood Ali S. , Songer Donald R.
Published: August 2013

Most empirical analyses of the US Supreme Court are limited to the Court’s plenary decisions. We contend that summary decisions are an important component of the total decisional output of the Court and, as such, should be included in any overall assessment of the decision making of the Court or its impact on the courts below. We analyze the universe of the Court’s summary decisions from 1995 to 2005. We assess the conventional wisdom that a conservative Court should primarily disturb liberal lower-court decisions and that, in all cases granted certiorari, the policy preferences of the justices should have a major impact on their votes. We find support for neither of these expectations.
The sum of digits function in finite fields
Authors: Dartyge Cécile , Sárközy András
Published: August 2013

We define and study certain sum of digits functions in the context of finite fields. We give the number of polynomial values of

F

q

\mathbb {F}_q

with a fixed sum of digits. We also state a result for the sum of digits of polynomial values with generator arguments.
On the Use of Honesty Priming Tasks to Mitigate Hypothetical Bias in Choice Experiments
Authors: de-Magistris Tiziana , Gracia Azucena , Nayga Rodolfo M.
Published: August 2013

We test whether the use of an honesty priming task can help mitigate hypothetical bias in stated preference choice experiments (CE). Using a between‐sample design, we conducted hypothetical and non‐hypothetical choice experiments with seven treatments. Our results suggest that marginal willingness to pay estimates from hypothetical CE with an honesty priming task are not significantly different from marginal valuations from non‐hypothetical CE. Values from both of these treatments are lower than those from three other hypothetical treatments, while values from the three non‐hypothetical treatments are not significantly different from each other.
Heart rate: a prognostic factor and therapeutic target in chronic heart failure. The distinct roles of drugs with heart rate‐lowering properties
Authors: Dobre Daniela , Borer Jeffrey S. , Fox Kim , Swedberg Karl , Adams Kirkwood F. , Cleland John G.F. , Cohen‐Solal Alain , Gheorghiade Mihai , Gueyffier Francois , O'Connor Christopher M. , Fiuzat Mona , Patak Athul , Piña Ileana L. , Rosano Giuseppe , Sabbah Hani N. , Tavazzi Luigi , Zannad Faiez
Published: August 2013

Heart rate not only predicts outcome but may also be a therapeutic target in patients with chronic heart failure. Several classes of pharmacological agents can be used to modulate heart rate, including beta‐blockers, ivabradine, digoxin, amiodarone, and verapamil. Choice of agent will depend on heart rhythm, co‐morbidities, and disease phenotype. Beneficial and harmful interactions may also exist. The aim of this paper is to summarize the current body of knowledge regarding the relevance of heart rate as a prognostic factor (risk marker) and particularly as a therapeutic target (risk factor) in patients with chronic heart failure, with a special focus on ivabradine, a novel agent that is currently the only available purely bradycardic agent.
Radio and X-ray observations of jet ejection in Cygnus X-2
Authors: Spencer R. E. , Rushton A. P. , Bałucińska-Church M. , Paragi Z. , Schulz N. S. , Wilms J. , Pooley G. G. , Church M. J.
Published: August 2013

The ejection of a relativistic jet has been observed in the luminous Galactic low-mass X-ray binary Cygnus X-2. Using high-resolution radio observations, a directly resolved ejection event has been discovered while the source was on the horizontal branch of the Z-track. Contemporaneous radio and X-ray observations were made with the European VLBI Network at 6 cm and the Swift X-ray observatory in the 0.3–10 keV band. This has been difficult to achieve because of the previous inability to predict jet formation. Two sets of ∼10 h observations were spaced 12 h apart, the jet apparently switching on during Day 1. The radio results show an unresolved core evolving into an extended jet. A preliminary value of jet velocity v/c of 0.33±0.12 was obtained, consistent with previous determinations in Galactic sources. Simultaneous radio and X-ray lightcurves are presented and the X-ray hardness ratio shows the source to be on the horizontal branch where jets are expected. The observations support our proposal that jet formation can in future be predicted based on X-ray intensity increases beyond a critical value.
Phytophthora boehmeriaeRevealed as the Dominant Pathogen Responsible for Severe Foliar Blight ofCapsicum annuumin South India
Authors: Chowdappa P. , Madhura S. , Kumar B. J. Nirmal , Kumar S. P. Mohan , Hema K. R.
Published: August 2013

Prior to 2011, foliar blight was not reported as a serious threat to hot pepper cultivation in India. During the June-to-January cropping season of 2011 and 2012, severe foliar blight epidemics were observed in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states of India. In all, 52 Phytophthora isolates, recovered from blight-affected leaf tissues of hot pepper from different localities in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states between 2011 and 2012, were identified: 43 isolates as P. boehmeriae and 9 isolates as P. capsici, based on morphology, a similarity search of internal transcribed spacer sequences at GenBank, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns, and species-specific PCR using PC1/PC2 and PB1/PB2 primer pairs. The isolates were further assessed for metalaxyl sensitivity and aggressiveness on hot pepper. All isolates of P. boehmeriae were metalaxyl sensitive while P. capsici isolates were intermediate in sensitivity. P. boehmeriae isolates were highly aggressive and produced significantly (P < 0.01) larger lesion than those of P. capsici isolates. Thus, emergence of P. boehmeriae was responsible for severe leaf blight epidemics on hot pepper in South India, although it is not serious pathogen on any crop in any part of the world. These results have epidemiological and management implications for the production of hot pepper in India.
Novel Diagnosis for Citrus Stubborn Disease by Detection of a Spiroplasma citri-Secreted Protein
Authors: Shi Jinxia , Pagliaccia Deborah , Morgan Robyn , Qiao Yongli , Pan Songqin , Vidalakis Georgios , Ma Wenbo
Published: August 2013

Citrus stubborn disease (CSD), first identified in California, is a widespread bacterial disease found in most arid citrus-producing regions in the United States and the Mediterranean Region. The disease is caused by Spiroplasma citri, an insect-transmitted and phloem-colonizing bacterium. CSD causes significant tree damage resulting in loss of fruit production and quality. Detection of CSD is challenging due to low and fluctuating titer and sporadic distribution of the pathogen in infected trees. In this study, we report the development of a novel diagnostic method for CSD using an S. citri-secreted protein as the detection marker. Microbial pathogens secrete a variety of proteins during infection that can potentially disperse systemically in infected plants with the vascular flow. Therefore, their distribution may not be restricted to the pathogen infection sites and could be used as a biological marker for infection. Using mass spectrometry analysis, we identified a unique secreted protein from S. citri that is highly expressed in the presence of citrus phloem extract. ScCCPP1, an antibody generated against this protein, was able to distinguish S. citri-infected citrus and periwinkle from healthy plants. In addition, the antiserum could be used to detect CSD using a simple direct tissue print assay without the need for sample processing or specialized lab equipment and may be suitable for field surveys. This study provides proof of a novel concept of using pathogen-secreted protein as a marker for diagnosis of a citrus bacterial disease and can probably be applied to other plant diseases.
Six Percent Hydroxyethyl Starch 130/0.4 (Voluven®) versus 5% Human Serum Albumin for Volume Replacement Therapy during Elective Open-heart Surgery in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Van der Linden Philippe , De Villé Andrée , Hofer Anna , Heschl Martina , Gombotz Hans
Published: August 2013

Background:

Although 5% albumin (human serum albumin [HSA]) is widely used in cardiac surgery children, synthetic colloids may provide a valuable alternative. This study compared 6% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 130/0.4 with HSA for volume replacement in this population.

Methods:

The study was a two-center, randomized, controlled, parallel-group, double-blind trial performed in children aged 2–12 yr undergoing elective surgery for congenital heart disease under extracorporeal circulation. The primary objective was to demonstrate equivalence between HES and HSA with regard to the total volume of colloid infusion for intraoperative volume replacement including priming of the extracorporeal circuitery.

Results:

In the per-protocol population, mean volume of colloid required until end of surgery was (mean ± SD) 36.6 ± 11.8 ml/kg body weight in the HES group (N = 29) and 37.0 ± 11.9 ml/kg body weight in the HSA group (N = 26; ratio of means HES/HSA = 0.98 [95% CI, 0.84–1.16]). Intraoperative fluid balance was less positive in the HES group (P = 0.047). No difference was found regarding hemodynamics, the use of vasoactive and inotropic drugs. Blood loss, erythrocytes transfusion, and renal function were not different between groups. The incidence of adverse events up to postoperative day 28 did not differ between the groups.

Conclusions:

In pediatric cardiac surgery, HES showed equivalence to HSA with regard to volume replacement therapy in children aged from 2 to 12 yr. Although there was no suggestion of an imbalance of safety measures between HES and HSA, the study was not powered to provide any firm conclusions about safety of tetrastarch in this population.
Mexican American Children Have Differential Elevation of Metabolic Biomarkers Proportional to Obesity Status
Authors: McFarlin Brian K. , Johnson Craig A. , Moreno Jeanette P. , Foreyt John P.
Published: August 2013

Objectives:

There is a health disparity for obesity among Mexican Americans compared with other racial/ethnic groups. In particular, Mexican American children who are obese are likely to become obese adults. The purpose of this study was to examine traditional and nontraditional risk factors in a subset of Mexican American children before their participation in a larger clinical weight loss study.

Methods:

Venous blood samples were collected from self‐identified Mexican American children (12–14 years old) who were assigned to 1 of 3 weight groups based on their standardized body mass index; normal weight (N = 66), overweight (N = 23), or obese (N = 39). Serum was analyzed for interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α, C‐peptide, ghrelin, glucagon‐like protein, gastric inhibitory polypeptide‐1, glucagon, insulin, leptin, macrophage chemoattractant protein 1, and pancreatic polypeptide using a Luminex MagPix‐based assay. Total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose were analyzed using enzymatic assays. Data were analyzed for significance using separate analysis of variance tests, with significance set at P < 0.05.

Results:

Relative to normal weight and overweight children, obese children had significantly elevated C‐peptide (P < 0.0001), insulin (P < 0.0001), leptin (P < 0.0001), macrophage chemoattractant protein 1 (P = 0.005), and tumor necrosis factor‐α (P = 0.006).

Conclusions:

We observed that Mexican American children as a function of body weight had elevated serum concentrations of several biomarkers that have been linked to chronic disease development in adults. More research is needed to understand how these differences affect disease risk in adulthood.
The effect of inoculum dose on the genetic diversity detected within Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus populations
Authors: Baillie Vicky Lynne , Bouwer Gustav
Published: August 2013

Environmental and infection variables may affect the genetic diversity of baculovirus populations. In this study, Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) was used as a model system for studying the effects of a key infection variable, inoculum dose, on the genetic diversity within nucleopolyhedrovirus populations. Diversity and equitability indices were calculated from DNA polymerase-specific denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles obtained from individual H. armigera neonate larvae inoculated with either an LD5 or LD95 of HearNPV. Although the genetic diversity detected in larvae treated with an LD95 was not statistically different from the diversity detected in the HearNPV inoculum samples, there was a statistically significant difference in the genetic diversity detected in the LD5-inoculated larvae compared with the genetic diversity detected in the HearNPV samples used for the inoculations. The study suggests that inoculum dose needs to be considered carefully in experiments that evaluate HearNPV genetic diversity or in studies where differences in genetic diversity may have phenotypic consequences.
Superantigen gene profiles, genetic relatedness and biological activity of exosecretions of Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from milk of cows with clinical mastitis
Authors: Fijałkowski Karol , Masiuk Helena , Czernomysy‐Furowicz Danuta , Karakulska Jolanta , Nawrotek Paweł , Paszkowska Aleksandra , Struk Magdalena , Giedrys‐Kalemba Stefania
Published: August 2013

This study evaluated the superantigen gene profiles, genetic relatedness and biological activity of exosecretions of 50 Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from milk of cows with clinical mastitis. Genomic relatedness of S. aureus was determined by pulsed field gel electrophoresis analysis of macro‐restricted chromosomes. The presence of genes encoding superantigens was confirmed by multiplex PCR. To study the biological activity of S. aureus exosecretions, the supernatants from bacterial liquid cultures were classified into three groups: those with leukotoxin‐like properties, those with superantigen‐like properties and those with no particular activity on leukocytes cultured in vitro. It was shown that all analyzed bacterial isolates belonged to the same clonal type and harbored the same combination of superantigen genes, namely sed, selj and ser. However, 22% of all isolates produced factors with superantigen‐like and 48% of them with leukotoxin‐like activities. Finally, although there were no detectable genetic differences between the analyzed bacterial isolates, the virulence factors secreted by them differed considerably.
How Does Corporate Reputation Affect Customer Loyalty in a Corporate Crisis?
Authors: Helm Sabrina , Tolsdorf Julia
Published: August 2013

It is widely accepted that corporate reputation plays an important role in determining the impact of crises on firms. Crises may erode corporate reputation. However, reputation may also attenuate the negative effects of crises. This study investigates how corporate reputation moderates the relationship between crisis occurrence and customer loyalty which is expected to decrease given a crisis. Drawing on opposing theories, namely dissonance theory and expectancy‐violation, we conduct a scenario experiment set in the airline industry. Results demonstrate that the moderating effect is weaker in the case of a favourable corporate reputation. This may indicate that a pre‐existing favourable reputation does not shield the firm from the negative effects of the crisis, but may rather present a liability because customers have higher expectations with regard to well‐reputed firms. Contrary to that, ill‐reputed firms have less to lose in the case of a crisis and suffer comparatively smaller decreases in customer loyalty. Marketing management might take into account the role of crisis and reputation management for customer bonding strategies while crisis management should recognize the importance of reputation effects in crises given their impact on customer loyalty and firm profitability.
How Control System Design Influences Performance Misreporting
Authors: MAAS VICTOR S. , VAN RINSUM MARCEL
Published: August 2013

This paper investigates reporting honesty when managers have monetary incentives to overstate their performance. We argue that managers who report about their performance will take into account how their report affects their peers (i.e., other managers at the same hierarchical level). This effect depends on the design of the organization's control system, in particular, on the reward structure and the information policy regarding individual performance reports. The reward structure determines if peers’ monetary payoff is increased or decreased when managers claim a higher level of performance. The information policy determines if managers will be able to link individual peers to their reports and affects the nonmonetary costs of breaking social norms. We present the results of a laboratory experiment. As predicted, we find that participants are more likely to overstate their performance if this increases the monetary payoff of others than if their reported performance decreases others’ monetary gains. In addition, overstatements are lower under an open information policy, where each individual's reported performance is made public, compared to a closed information policy, where participants only learn the average performance of the other participants. Our findings have several important implications for management accounting research and practice.
Fireworks injuries in children: A prospective study during the festival of lights
Authors: Bagri Narendra , Saha Abhijeet , Chandelia Sudha , Dubey Nand K , Bhatt Aditya , Rai Ashish , Bhattacharya Sameek , Makhija Lalit Kumar
Published: August 2013

Objective

We studied the epidemiology of paediatric firework‐related injury in the urban population of Delhi during the festival of lights (Diwali).

Methods

In this prospective observational study, data were collected on the day of Diwali for two consecutive years, 2010 and 2011. All children with firework injuries coming to the emergency room were included in the study. Data were recorded in a predesigned proforma.

Results

Of the 65 cases, 75% were males and 25% were females; most children were more than 10 years of age and majority (90%) of them were unsupervised. Half (49%) of the cases were due to misuse of the fireworks or erratic behaviour, among which the most common observed mode was igniting cracker while holding it (18 cases; 24% of total injuries), which led to injuries to the hand and palm. Device failure was the next common cause for firework injuries, including unexpected blast of the crackers and string bomb as the most common. Overall, the most commonly injured body sites were hands (62%), face (32%) and eyes (10%). Crackers and string bomb mainly caused injuries to hands; fountains and gunpowder caused injuries to the face. Sixty (94%) children were managed conservatively and 5 (6%) required skin grafting and tendon repair.

Conclusion

We recommend parental supervision especially for males, wearing non‐synthetic and non‐flowing clothes, promoting branded crackers and educational campaigns in schools to curtail the rising trend in firework‐related injuries in the paediatric population.
Paricalcitol Reduces Proteinuria in Non‐Dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
Authors: Hojs Nina , Bevc Sebastjan , Balon Breda Pečovnik , Hojs Radovan , Ekart Robert
Published: August 2013

Existing treatment of proteinuria is not sufficient to halt the chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemic. Therefore the aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of paricalcitol on proteinuria in non‐dialysis CKD patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism treated according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines. Forty‐one non‐dialysis CKD patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (iPTH >65 pg/mL), serum calcium <2.6 mmol/L, serum phosphate <1.8 mmol/L and proteinuria (>150 mg/day) were treated with paricalcitol 1 μg/day. Most were treated for 6 months, with the exception of three patients having iPTH <30 pg/mL after 3 months, in whom therapy was stopped. All patients were followed for 6 months. 24‐h ambulatory blood pressure (24hABP) monitoring was performed at 0 and 6 months. Fixed doses of ACE inhibitors and/or ARBs and/or statins were kept for 3 months before and during the study. Forty‐one patients (30 men, 11 women; age 62.44 ± 11.93 years) with different primary causes of CKD were enrolled in the study. Urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), 24‐h urinary albuminuria (24hUA) and 24‐h urinary quantitative proteinuria (24hUQP) were measured. Values at 0 and 6 months of these parameters were log‐transformed for statistical analysis. After treatment with paricalcitol, statistically significant reduction (paired t‐test) in 24hUA (P < 0.011) and 24hUQP (P < 0.0001) were found. The reduction of UACR was not significant (P = 0.074). In the observational period no statistically significant reduction in 24hABP was found. Treatment with 1 μg paricalcitol daily according to clinical practice in non‐dialysis CKD patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism and proteinuria significantly reduces 24hUA and 24hUQP without significant change in 24hABP.
Hemodialysis Arteriovenous Fistula‐Related Complications and Surgery in Kidney Graft Recipients
Authors: Vajdič Trampuž Barbara , Ponikvar Rafael , Kandus Aljoša , Buturović‐Ponikvar Jadranka
Published: August 2013

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) remains functional after kidney transplantation in many patients. The aim of this historical cohort study was to evaluate the data on AVF‐related complications and surgery performed after kidney transplantation in our patients. The study cohort included the recipients of a kidney transplant with AVF complications between January 2006 and April 2012. 74 renal transplant recipients (47% male, mean age 51 ± 10, range 14 to 73 years) with complications related to AVF were analyzed. Among all AVFs, 51 (72%) were located in the forearm, nine (13%) in the upper arm, and 14 (15%) in the elbow. Complications occurred in 12.5% (74/592) of kidney graft recipients who were treated at our Outpatient Transplant Unit during the study period. The most common complication was painful thrombosis with or without thrombophlebitis, which occurred in 32 patients (43.2%). Other complications included growing aneurysms (27%, 20/74), venous hypertension with arm edema (8.1%, 6/74), distal hypoperfusion (8.1%, 6/74), high flow AVF with cardiac failure (8.1%, 6/74), trauma (1.3%, 1/74), and cosmetic appearance (4%, 3/74). Fifty‐one surgical interventions were performed in 49 patients (mean age 52 ± 12, range 28 to 73 years). AVF closure was performed in 29/51 (56%) patients. Furthermore, an extirpation of aneurysm was performed in 12/51 (23%) and an extirpation of thrombosed AVF was performed in 1/51 (2%) patients, simple trombectomies were performed in 5/51 (10%) and a thrombectomy with reanastomosis was performed in 4/51 (8%) patients. One patient underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for underlying stenosis after surgery. The most common AVF‐related complications in kidney graft recipients are painful thrombosis (often accompanied with thrombophlebitis) and growing aneurysms. Surgical intervention is performed in a significant proportion of patients, mainly AVF closure, aneurysm extirpation, and thrombectomy.
Phylogenetic evidence for a shift in the mode of mammalian body size evolution at the Cretaceous‐Palaeogene boundary
Authors: Slater Graham J.
Published: August 2013

Phylogenetic comparative methods provide a powerful way of addressing classic questions about tempo and mode of phenotypic evolution in the fossil record, such as whether mammals increased in body size diversity after the Cretaceous‐Palaeogene (K‐Pg) extinction.

Most often, these kinds of questions are addressed in the context of variation in evolutionary rates. Shifts in the mode of phenotypic evolution provide an alternative and, in some cases, more realistic explanation for patterns of trait diversity in the fossil record, but these kinds of processes are rarely tested for.

In this study, I use a time‐calibrated phylogeny of living and fossil Mammaliaformes as a framework to test novel models of body size evolution derived from palaeontological theory. Specifically, I ask whether the K‐Pg extinction resulted in a change in rates of body size evolution or release from a constrained adaptive zone.

I found that a model comprising an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process until the K‐Pg event and a Brownian motion process from the Cenozoic onwards was the best supported model for these data. Surprisingly, results indicate a lower absolute rate of body size evolution during the Cenozoic than during the Mesozoic. This is explained by release from a stationary OU process that constrained realized disparity. Despite a lower absolute rate, body size disparity has in fact been increasing since the K‐Pg event.

The use of time‐calibrated phylogenies of living and extinct taxa and realistic, process‐based models provides unparalleled power in testing evolutionary hypotheses. However, researchers should take care to ensure that the models they use are appropriate to the question being tested and that the parameters estimated are interpreted in the context of the best fitting model.
Testing the link between phenotypic evolution and speciation: an integrated palaeontological and phylogenetic analysis
Authors: Hunt Gene
Published: August 2013

The punctuated equilibrium model predicts that phenotypic change is concentrated into pulses associated with speciation, with little change otherwise accruing in established lineages. Palaeontological tests of this model have generally lacked an adequate phylogenetic and modelling framework, whereas tests relying on extant populations lack direct constraints on the evolutionary dynamics within lineages.

This study extends a modelling approach developed in comparative studies and applies it to a clade with a rich fossil record, the deep‐sea ostracode genus Poseidonamicus. Using a phylogenetic framework and an independent set of shape traits plus body size, a model was fit that allows estimation of anagenetic (within‐lineage) evolution, cladogenetic (speciational) change and geographic variation within species.

Maximum‐likelihood parameter estimates suggested dominantly speciational change for only one or two shape traits, depending on model assumptions. For the remaining shape traits and body size, the contribution of anagenesis was always substantial. Confidence limits on these solutions were quite broad (although narrower when multiple traits were analysed jointly), with most traits consistent with both strongly anagenetic and strongly cladogenetic change.

Whereas uncertainty about phylogenetic topology and species limits has little influence on the conclusions, assuming stasis instead of Brownian motion within lineages shifted support to solutions in which speciational change was more dominant, although several traits remained dominantly explained by anagenetic evolution.

These results suggest that for the traits and taxa examined, anagenesis contributes substantially to long‐term divergence. The uncertainty in the results highlights the analytical difficulty of decomposing anagenetic and cladogenetic sources of phenotypic evolution, even with fossil constraints. When model uncertainty is taken into account, the task of doing so using observations from entirely extant populations is even more daunting.
Modelling distributions of fossil sampling rates over time, space and taxa: assessment and implications for macroevolutionary studies
Authors: Wagner Peter J. , Marcot Jonathan D.
Published: August 2013

Observed patterns in the fossil record reflect not just macroevolutionary dynamics, but preservation patterns. Sampling rates themselves vary not simply over time or among major taxonomic groups, but within time intervals over geography and environment, and among species within clades. Large databases of presences of taxa in fossil‐bearing collections allow us to quantify variation in per‐collection sampling rates among species within a clade. We do this separately not just for different time/stratigraphic intervals, but also for different geographic or ecologic units within time/stratigraphic intervals. We then re‐assess per‐million‐year sampling rates given the distributions of per‐collection sampling rates

We use simple distribution models (geometric and lognormal) to assess general models of per‐locality sampling rate distributions given occurrences among appropriate fossiliferous localities. We break these down not simply by time period, but by general biogeographic units in order to accommodate variation over space as well as among species.

We apply these methods to occurrence data for Meso‐Cenozoic mammals drawn from the Paleobiology Database and the New and Old Worlds fossil mammal database. We find that all models of distributed rates do vastly better than the best uniform sampling rates and that the lognormal in particular does an excellent job of summarizing sampling rates. We also show that the lognormal distributions vary fairly substantially among biogeographic units of the same age.

As an example of the utility of these rates, we assess the most likely divergence times for basal (Eocene–Oligocene) carnivoramorphan mammals from North America and Eurasia using both stratigraphic and morphological data. The results allow for unsampled taxa or unsampled portions of sampled lineages to be in either continent and also allow for the variation in sampling rates among species. We contrast five models using stratigraphic likelihoods in different ways to summarize how they might affect macroevolutionary inferences.
How to do things to children with words: Language, ritual, and apocalypse in pediatric HIV treatment in Botswana
Authors: BRADA BETSEY BEHR
Published: August 2013

Concerned that children understood the wordAIDSto portend their imminent deaths, U.S. pediatricians in Botswana used ritual speech to reveal HIV‐positive children's diagnoses to them in an effort to ensure these children took their medications. They relied on euphemisms such assoldierandbad guy,gradually and methodically replacing them with biomedically derived terms. While the ritual was predicated on transparency and accuracy, pediatricians’ conviction that the wordAIDSimpaired children's ability to manage their infections led them to silence representations of the epidemic as anything other than a manageable condition in order to create a stable object of biomedical intervention.
Accounting for silence: Inheritance, debt, and the moral economy of legal redress in China and Japan
Authors: KOGA YUKIKO
Published: August 2013

Legal efforts seeking official apology and compensation for Japanese colonial violence have, since the 1990s, become a prime site of Chinese and Japanese attempts to come to terms with the past. This ethnography explores what it means to legally account for Japanese imperialism decades after the original violence ended with Japan's defeat in World War II. Examination of recent compensation lawsuits filed by Chinese war victims against the Japanese government and corporations shows how legal interventions publicly reveal artificially separated, yet deeply intertwined moral and monetary economies that present postwar compensation as a question of the generational transfer of unaccounted‐for pasts and accompanying debts. I elucidate how accounts and accounting address overdue responsibility for postwar generations and, against the background of generational shift and the changing balance of economic power between China and Japan, show how the crux of this issue has shifted from apology to inheritance and accountability.
The effect of lung deflation on the position of the pleura during subclavian vein cannulation in infants receiving mechanical ventilation: an ultrasound study
Authors: Jang Y.‐E. , Lee J.‐H. , Park Y.‐H. , Byon H.‐J. , Kim H.‐S. , Kim C.‐S. , Kim J.‐T.
Published: August 2013

We evaluated the effect of lung deflation on the relative position of the pleura compared with a reference line during supra‐ and infraclavicular approaches to the right subclavian vein. The reference line was drawn relative to the predicted pathway of the needle. The distances between the pleura and the reference line for supra‐ and infraclavicular approaches were measured during inspiration and expiration in 41 infants. Measurements were repeated with the application of 5 cmH2O positive end‐expiratory pressure (PEEP) and in the Trendelenburg position. Lung deflation during the supraclavicular approach significantly decreased the volume of lung crossing the reference line by a median (IQR [range]) of 1.0 (0.6 to 1.3 [0.0 to 4.8]) mm, p < 0.001, irrespective of the application of PEEP or patient position. However, during the infraclavicular approach, lung deflation showed no change in the distance of the pleura from the reference line regardless of PEEP or patient position. We conclude that lung deflation moves the lung apex caudally and can reduce the potential risk of pneumothorax during a supraclavicular approach to the right subclavian vein in infants.
Nonremoval of an abnormally invasive placenta at cesarean section with postoperative uterine artery embolization
Authors: Chung Man Y. , Cheng Yvonne K.Y. , Yu Simon C.H. , Sahota Daljit S. , Leung Tak Y.
Published: August 2013

Objective

To evaluate the outcome of three different modes of management of abnormally invasive placenta over a 6‐year period.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary hospital in Hong Kong.

Population

In 39 757 deliveries, 25 cases of abnormally invasive placenta were identified at cesarean section.

Methods

Identification of cases by hospital database and review of medical records.

Main outcome measures

Blood loss, blood transfusion requirement, operative time, duration of hospital stay, secondary postpartum hemorrhage and endometritis.

Results

Six women were managed by leaving the placenta in situ and by postoperative uterine artery embolization. Ten women were managed by an extirpative approach and nine women with direct cesarean hysterectomy. The success rate of nonremoval of the placenta with uterine artery embolization was 4/6 (67%). The intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion requirements and operation times were lowest in the group with nonremoval of the placenta, although a higher secondary complication rate and a longer hospital stay followed.

Conclusion

Nonremoval of an abnormally invasive placenta at cesarean section and prophylactic postoperative uterine artery embolization are an alternative to elective cesarean hysterectomy.
Oncological outcomes after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy: long‐term follow‐up in 4803 patients
Authors: Sukumar Shyam , Rogers Craig G. , Trinh Quoc Dien , Sammon Jesse , Sood Akshay , Stricker Hans , Peabody James O. , Menon Mani , Diaz‐Insua Mireya
Published: August 2013

Objective

To evaluate oncological outcomes in patients undergoing robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) at a high‐volume tertiary centre with focus on biochemical recurrence (BCR); previous studies on oncological outcomes for patients undergoing RARP for prostate cancer are limited to small series.

Patients and Methods

In all, 5152 consecutive patients underwent RARP from 2001 to 2010; 4803 patients comprised the study cohort after exclusions.

BCR was defined as a serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level of ≥0.2 ng/mL with a confirmatory value.

BCR‐free survival (BCRFS), metastasis‐free survival (MFS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox hazards regression models were generated.

Results

The mean preoperative PSA level was 6.1 ng/mL, pathological Gleason grade and stage were ≥7 in 68% and ≥pT3 in 34% of patients.

There was BCR in 470 patients (9.8%), 31 patients developed metastatic disease (0.7%) and 13 patients died from prostate cancer (0.3%) during a mean (range) follow‐up of 34.6 (1–116.7) months.

Actuarial 8‐year BCRFS, MFS and CSS were 81%, 98.5% and 99.1%, respectively. In patients with node‐positive disease, actuarial 5‐year BCRFS, MFS, and CSS were 26%, 82%, and 97%.

For organ‐confined disease, predictors of BCR included pathology Gleason grade (primary Gleason 5 vs 3, hazard ratio [HR] 5.52, P = 0.018; Gleason 4 vs 3, HR 1.97, P = 0.001), preoperative PSA level (10–20 vs ≤10 ng/mL, HR 2.38, P = 0.001), and surgical margin status (positive vs negative, HR 3.84, P < 0.001)

Conclusions

RARP appears to confer effective long‐term biochemical control.

To our knowledge, this is the largest report of oncological outcomes in a RARP series to date.
Effects of radiation on the incidence of prostate cancer among Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors
Authors: Kondo Hisayoshi , Soda Midori , Mine Mariko , Yokota Kenichi
Published: August 2013

Atomic bomb survivors have been reported to have an increased risk of some cancers, especially leukemia. However, the risk of prostate cancer in atomic bomb survivors is not known to have been examined previously. This study examined the association between atomic bomb radiation and the incidence of prostate cancer among male Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors. The subjects were classified by distance from the hypocenter into a proximal group (<2 km), a distal group (≥2 km), and an early entrance group (those who entered the region <2 km from the hypocenter within 2 weeks after the explosion). Between 1996 and 2009, 631 new cases of prostate cancer were identified among approximately 18 400 male Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors who were alive in 1996. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the risk of prostate cancer development, with adjustment for age at atomic bomb explosion, attained age, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. Compared with the distal group, the proximal group had significant increased risks of total, localized, and high‐grade prostate cancer (relative risk and 95% confidence interval: 1.51 [1.21–1.89]; 1.80 [1.26–2.57]; and 1.88 [1.20–2.94], respectively). This report is the first known to reveal a significant relationship between atomic bomb radiation and prostate cancer.