bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal dose of gemcitabine for the treatment of biliary tract or pancreatic cancer in patients with liver dysfunction
Authors: Shibata Takashi , Ebata Tomoki , Fujita Ken‐ichi , Shimokata Tomoya , Maeda Osamu , Mitsuma Ayako , Sasaki Yasutsuna , Nagino Masato , Ando Yuichi
Published: November 2015

A clear consensus does not exist about whether the initial dose of gemcitabine, an essential anticancer antimetabolite, should be reduced in patients with liver dysfunction. Adult patients with biliary tract or pancreatic cancer were divided into three groups according to whether they had mild, moderate, or severe liver dysfunction, evaluated on the basis of serum bilirubin and liver transaminase levels at baseline. As anticancer treatment, gemcitabine at a dose of 800 or 1000 mg/m2 was given as an i.v. infusion once weekly for 3 weeks of a 4‐week cycle. The patients were prospectively evaluated for adverse events during the first cycle, and the pharmacokinetics of gemcitabine and its inactive metabolite, difluorodeoxyuridine, were studied to determine the optimal initial dose of gemcitabine as monotherapy according to the severity of liver dysfunction. A total of 15 patients were studied. Liver dysfunction was mild in one patient, moderate in six, and severe in eight. All 15 patients had been undergoing biliary drainage for obstructive jaundice when they received gemcitabine. Grade 3 cholangitis developed in one patient with moderate liver dysfunction who received gemcitabine at the dose level of 1000 mg/m2. No other patients had severe treatment‐related adverse events resulting in the omission or discontinuation of gemcitabine treatment. The plasma concentrations of gemcitabine and difluorodeoxyuridine were similar among the groups. An initial dose reduction of gemcitabine as monotherapy for the treatment of biliary tract or pancreatic cancers is not necessary for patients with hyperbilirubinemia, provided that obstructive jaundice is well managed. (Clinical trial registration no. UMIN000005363.)
Discount Usage and Price Discrimination for Pork Products in Canada
Authors: Vyn Richard J. , Hailu Getu
Published: November 2015

This paper examines the effects of demographic and location variables on usage of various types of discounts (e.g., coupons, price cuts, and store membership discounts) and compares the price elasticities of demand for pork products for users and nonusers of various types of discounts. We use Ipsos‐Reid's Consumer Panel of Canada weekly household data across Canada over a one‐year period. We find that the effect of demographic and location variables on discount usage is discount‐type specific. For many pork products, the price elasticity of demand is higher for users of discounts than for nonusers. The results also indicate variation across discount types in the ability to price discriminate for specific pork products. For example, coupons and price cuts are more effective price discrimination tools than store membership discounts for processed pork products. These results suggest that retailers should be strategic with the types of discounts used to most effectively price discriminate across a variety of pork products.
Measures of Online Advertising Effectiveness for Market Penetration: The Case of Orange Juice Consumers
Authors: House Lisa A. , Jiang Yuan , Salois Matthew
Published: November 2015

Traditionally, research on the impacts of generic advertising on food demand has focused on television advertising and in‐store promotions. However, with the an increased use of advertising using social media, such as online banner advertisements, there is a need for investigation to determine whether online advertising has a similar impact as television advertising. We investigate the factors related to both the awareness and impact of online and television advertisements on the frequency of orange juice consumption. A negative time trend is found with regard to awareness of both online and television advertising. The relationship between awareness of orange juice advertisements and frequency of consumption is somewhat surprising. The major surprise is the lack of relationship between online advertising and consumption frequency. Only awareness of online Facebook advertisements is positively related to the number of days per week orange juice is consumed. The lack of relationship with awareness of television advertisements, which at first may be surprising is reflected in a recent decision by the Florida Department of Citrus, which is responsible for the funding and placement of orange juice advertisements, to no longer invest in television advertising. Additional research on whether or not online advertisements are proving ineffective is needed.
Adsorption behaviour of carbon black/latex by cationised cotton fabrics
Authors: Wang Chunxia , Tawiah Benjamin , Cui Rongrong , Zhang Liping , Fu Shaohai
Published: November 2015

A carbon black/latex dispersion was prepared by mini‐emulsion polymerisation, and its absorption behaviour towards cationised cotton fabric was investigated. The results indicated that the prepared carbon black/latex dispersion had excellent freeze–thaw stability. Cotton fabric that was cationised with 3 g/l of 3‐chloro‐2‐hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride at a liquor ratio of 30:1 can be optimally dyed with 4% owf carbon black/latex under the conditions of pH 7.2, 60 °C, and 1 h. The adsorption behaviour of the carbon black/latex towards cationised cotton fabric followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, with a lower dyeing rate and a better colour levelness than the ordinary carbon black dispersion with binder.
Ten‐year observational follow‐up of PROactive: a randomized cardiovascular outcomes trial evaluating pioglitazone in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Erdmann E. , Harding S. , Lam H. , Perez A.
Published: November 2015

Aims

To conduct a 10‐year, observational follow‐up of patients completing PROactive to investigate whether trends of cardiovascular benefit with pioglitazone and imbalances in specific malignancies persisted over time.

Methods

Macrovascular endpoints and malignancies were compared based on original randomization to pioglitazone or placebo and ‘any’ versus ‘no’ pioglitazone use for bladder and prostate cancer.

Results

Of 4873 patients completing the PROactive trial, 74% entered the follow‐up. During follow‐up (mean 7.8 years), there were no statistically significant differences in the primary [all‐cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac intervention, stroke, major leg amputation, leg revascularization] or main secondary (death, MI, stroke) endpoints for subjects originally randomized to pioglitazone and placebo, except for leg amputations during follow‐up [4.1% pioglitazone, 5.6% placebo; hazard ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55–0.99; p = 0.046]. During follow‐up, the incidence of total malignancies was similar between groups; bladder cancer was reported in 0.8% of patients (n = 14) in the pioglitazone versus 1.2% (n = 21) in the placebo group [relative risk (RR) 0.65, 95% CI 0.33–1.28], and prostate cancer was reported in 44 men (3.7%) in the pioglitazone versus 29 men (2.5%) in the placebo group (RR 1.47, 95% CI 0.93–2.34).

Conclusions

The trends of macrovascular benefits of pioglitazone compared with placebo during PROactive did not persist in the absence of continued pioglitazone during this 10‐year follow‐up. Trends of decreased bladder cancer and increased prostate cancer were observed in the pioglitazone group during follow‐up; however, these imbalances should be interpreted with caution because of the limitations of the observational study design.
INDIVIDUAL WELFARE WHEN CONSUMERS CAN SHOP FOR HEALTH INSURANCE
Authors: Dusansky Richard , Koç Çağatay
Published: November 2015

The statewide system of health insurance exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 will allow millions of U.S. citizens to change their health care policies more easily than they can switch automobile or homeowner insurance coverages, because deniability based on prior claim history is illegal. Focusing on this consumer endogeneity of health insurance policy choice, we examine the individual moral hazard welfare implications of a reduction in the price of medical care, which is a potential consequence of the ACA. We show that endogenous policy choice plays a key role in determining the welfare outcome. While moral hazard welfare improvement is not precluded, a distinctly possible outcome is that the consumer revises his/her choice of insurance policy so as to retain some portion of the reduction in expenditure risk caused by the medical care price decrease. In this event, moral hazard welfare loss is higher than it was before the price decrease, although the increased loss is tempered by the endogenous contract choice effect. This result resuscitates an old conventional wisdom. (JEL I11, I13, I30)
Social problem solving in carers of young people with a first episode of psychosis: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: McCann Terence V. , Cotton Sue M. , Lubman Dan I.
Published: November 2015

Aim

Caring for young people with first‐episode psychosis is difficult and demanding, and has detrimental effects on carers' well‐being, with few evidence‐based resources available to assist carers to deal with the problems they are confronted with in this situation. We aimed to examine if completion of a self‐directed problem‐solving bibliotherapy by first‐time carers of young people with first‐episode psychosis improved their social problem solving compared with carers who only received treatment as usual.

Methods

A randomized controlled trial was carried out through two early intervention psychosis services in Melbourne, Australia. A sample of 124 carers were randomized to problem‐solving bibliotherapy or treatment as usual. Participants were assessed at baseline, 6‐ and 16‐week follow‐up.

Results

Intent‐to‐treat analyses were used and showed that recipients of bibliotherapy had greater social problem‐solving abilities than those receiving treatment as usual, and these effects were maintained at both follow‐up time points.

Conclusions

Our findings affirm that bibliotherapy, as a low‐cost complement to treatment as usual for carers, had some effects in improving their problem‐solving skills when addressing problems related to the care and support of young people with first‐episode psychosis.
Glennon Brothers: Old Dogs Need to Learn New Tricks
Authors: Clinton Eric , Faherty Catherine M. , Diaz–Moriana Vanessa , Craig Justin B.
Published: November 2015

This case study presents the story of Glennon Brothers, a third–generation family–owned sawmilling business in Ireland. As the firm evolved through the organizational life cycle and the complexity of firm operations increased, a different style of management was required to navigate the family business to the next stage. The brothers needed to move from being managers to managing managers. This case study highlights how coleaders can become comfortable with each other and unintentionally overlook the need to change their managerial priorities in line with the business's evolution.
Acid base imbalances in ill neonatal foals and their association with survival
Authors: Viu J. , Armengou L. , Ríos J. , Cesarini C. , Jose‐Cunilleras E.
Published: November 2015

Reasons for performing study

Acid‐base imbalances observed in human paediatric patients are associated with outcome. Likewise, neonatal foals may have different acid‐base imbalances associated with diagnosis or prognosis.

Objectives

To determine acid‐base imbalances by the quantitative method in ill neonatal foals and assess their association with diagnosis and prognosis.

Study design

Observational prospective clinical study.

Methods

This study included 65 ill neonatal foals (32 septic, 33 nonseptic) admitted to an equine referral hospital from 2005 to 2011with acid‐base parameters determined on admission and a control group of 33 healthy neonatal foals. BloodpH,pCO2, sodium, potassium, chloride, L‐lactate, albumin and phosphate concentrations were determined. Bicarbonate, globulin, measured strong ion difference (SIDm), nonvolatile weak buffer concentrations (Atot), base excess and its components were calculated. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multiple linear regression statistical analyses were performed. Results are summarised as mean ± s.d. for normally distributed variables and median [25–75th percentiles] for non‐normally distributed ones.

Results

A total of 63% of ill foals had respiratory alkalosis and 58.5% hadSIDmacidosis. The combination of both alterations was detected in 21 of 65 ill foals and abnormalpHwas found in 24 of 65. Compared with healthy foals, ill foals had significantly lowerSIDm(nonseptic 31.6 ± 6.3 [P<0.01] and septic 32.0 ± 6.4 [P<0.01] vs. control 40.3 ± 3.1 mmol/l), potassium (nonseptic 3.5 [3.3–3.8; P<0.01] and septic 3.6 [3.2–4.3; P = 0.01] vs. control 4.2 [3.8–4.5]mEq/l) and higher L‐lactate (nonseptic 5.1 ± 4.2 [P = 0.01] and septic 5.0 ± 3.7 [P = 0.03] vs. control 2.5 ± 1.3 mmol/l). Significantly higher L‐lactate and venouspCO2were found in nonsurviving (6.4 ± 3.5 mmol/l [P = 0.04] and 51 ± 13 mmHg [P<0.01]) compared with surviving foals.

Conclusions

The most common acid‐base imbalances observed in ill foals were respiratory alkalosis,SIDmacidosis or mixed respiratory alkalosis with strong ion acidosis. Increased venouspCO2and blood L‐lactate concentration were associated with poor outcome.
The Role of Migration in the Variety and Quality of Trade: Evidence from Germany
Authors: Bellino Antonella , Celi Giuseppe
Published: November 2015

We explore the migration-trade nexus in the case of Germany over the period 2000-09, disentangling the two dimensions of intra-industry trade (vertical and horizontal). We find that immigration is positively and significantly related to intraindustry trade. However, the magnitude and statistical significance of migration’s impact on trade are considerably higher for horizontal intra-industry trade and increase with the difference in the level of development between Germany and the partner countries. This pattern is consistent with the view that information flows between migrant communities and their country of origin may be more important for consumer goods (where trade in varieties prevails) and that this information effect is more important if trading countries are very different.
The possibility of renal function recovery in chronic hemodialysis patients should not be overlooked: Single center experience
Authors: Letachowicz Krzysztof , Madziarska Katarzyna , Letachowicz Waldemar , Krajewska Magdalena , Penar Józef , Kusztal Mariusz , Gołębiowski Tomasz , Weyde Wacław , Klinger Marian
Published: November 2015

Chronic hemodialysis is implemented when irreversible loss of kidney function occurs. Sometimes renal recovery is overlooked. From January 2005 to December 2014, we identified 28 patients hemodialyzed for more than 3 months who had renal replacement therapy discontinued. The group consisted of 17 (57.7%) males and 11 (42.3%) females. Patients were 18–87 years old. Time of hemodialysis ranged from 3 to 97 months. Of note, 14 (50%) patients were referred from local dialysis units for solution of vascular access problems. In 13 (46.2%) patients dialysis was abandoned within the first 6 months, in 5 (17.8%) patients between 6 and 12 months, and in 10 (35.7%) patients beyond 12 months. Estimated dialysis‐free survival was 94.4% (SE 0.054) and 82% (SE 0.095) at 12 and 24 months, respectively. All physicians must be aware of possible kidney function improvement. In patients with preserved diuresis fall in periodical urea or creatinine measurements might be a sign of renal recovery.
Recent advances in telemetry for estimating the energy metabolism of wild fishes
Authors: Metcalfe J. D. , Wright S. , Tudorache C. , Wilson R. P.
Published: November 2015

Metabolic rate is a critical factor in animal biology and ecology, providing an objective measure that can be used in attributing a cost to different activities and to assessing what animals do against some optimal behaviour. Ideally, metabolic rate would be estimated directly by measuring heat output but, until recently, this has not been easily tractable with fishes so instead metabolic rate is usually estimated using indirect methods. In the laboratory, oxygen consumption rate is the indirect method most frequently used for estimating metabolic rate, but technical requirements preclude the measurement of either heat output or oxygen consumption rate in free‐ranging fishes. There are other field methods for estimating metabolic rate that can be used with mammals and birds but, again, these cannot be used with fishes. Here, the use of electronic devices that record body acceleration in three dimensions (accelerometry) is considered. Accelerometry is a comparatively new telemetric method for assessing energy metabolism in animals. Correlations between dynamic body acceleration (DBA) and oxygen consumption rate demonstrate that this will be a useful proxy for estimating activity‐specific energy expenditure from fishes in mesocosm or field studies over extended periods where other methods (e.g. oxygen consumption rate) are not feasible. DBA therefore has potential as a valuable tool for attributing cost to different activities. This could help in gaining a full picture of how fishes make energy‐based trade‐offs between different levels of activity when faced with conflicting or competing demands arising from increased and combined environmental stressors.
No Direct Survival Effect of Light to Moderate Alcohol Drinking in Community‐Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Muscari Antonio , Bianchi Giampaolo , Conte Camilla , Forti Paola , Magalotti Donatella , Pandolfi Paolo , Vaccheri Alberto , Zoli Marco ,   the Pianoro Study Group
Published: November 2015

Objectives

To assess the relationship between light to moderate alcohol consumption and mortality, particularly accounting for baseline health status and physical activity.

Design

Prospective, longitudinal, population‐based study.

Setting

The Pianoro Study, which consisted of community‐dwelling older adults in three towns in northern Italy.

Participants

Noninstitutionalized individuals of both sexes aged 65 and older (N = 5,256; 2,318 abstainers, 2,309 light to moderate drinkers (≤2 alcoholic units/d)).

Measurements

Baseline information about demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, physical activity (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE)), perceived health status (visual analog scale (VAS)), dependency level, risk factors, and previous cardiovascular events was obtained using a structured questionnaire. Follow‐up information was obtained 6 years later from 2,752 survivors, and mortality information was obtained from death certificates.

Results

Male sex, being physically active, and good health status were independently associated with light to moderate drinking (P < .001). An apparent protective effect of light to moderate drinking on mortality was evident in the unadjusted analysis and after adjusting for age, sex, risk factors, and cardiovascular events (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.68–0.88, P < .001), but after also adjusting for PASE and VAS, the relationship was no longer significant (aHR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.80–1.05, P = .19). Follow‐up physical activity was associated with baseline alcohol consumption; baseline physical activity did not predict alcohol consumption during follow‐up.

Conclusion

After accounting for health status and physical activity, light to moderate alcohol drinking had no direct protective effect on mortality.
Environmental Impacts of Energy‐Efficient Pyrometallurgical Copper Smelting Technologies: The Consequences of Technological Changes from 2010 to 2050
Authors: Kulczycka Joanna , Lelek Łukasz , Lewandowska Anna , Wirth Herbert , Bergesen Joseph D.
Published: November 2015

The article analyzes and discusses the environmental and natural resource impacts, benefits, and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential associated with a long‐term transition to more energy‐efficient pyrometallurgical smelting technologies for the production of refined copper. Using generic data from the KGHM Polska Miedź S.A, Glogow I and II smelting facilities in Poland, this study employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare the environmental impacts of shaft and flash furnace‐based smelting technologies. Additionally, this analysis accounts for likely technological changes in the more energy‐efficient flash furnace smelting technologies and electricity generation from 2030 to 2050 to forecast the long‐term impacts of copper production. Life cycle impact assessment results for copper production are characterized using the ReCiPe 2008 midpoint method. LCA results show that, for most impact categories, the flash‐based technology can achieve significantly lower environmental impacts than a shaft furnace (i.e., to produce 1 ton of copper in 2010 generates, on average, a 24% lower overall impact). For climate change, transitioning from shaft furnace‐based copper production to more efficient flash furnace technology leads to decreasing GHG emissions of 29% in 2010, 50% in 2030, and 56% in 2050.
Prestige, Networks, and Social Mobility Among Lawyers: A View from
California of Woeste's book, Henry Ford's War on Jews and the Legal Battle
Against Hate Speech
Authors: Seron Carroll
Published: November 2015

In Henry Ford's War on Jews and the Legal Battle Against
Hate Speech (2012), Victoria Saker Woeste raises
provocative questions for students of the legal profession. Aaron Sapiro, an
Eastern European, Jewish immigrant to California, rose to international
prominence through his corporate specialization in agricultural
cooperatives. Our understanding of the social structure of the legal
profession, based on studies of the East and Midwest, shows that for most of
the twentieth century, the structure of the bar was highly stratified around
markers of ethno‐religious status. The trajectory of Sapiro's career does
not fit this story. A focus on the West generally or California in
particular complicates our understanding of how factors such as
ethno‐religious background, social networks, career mobility, and prestige
interact.
The Spokesman Conundrum: “Is It Good for the Jews?”
Authors: Soifer Aviam
Published: November 2015

Battles concerning who legitimately speaks for minority groups pervade
US history. The historically decentralized organization of American Jewry
affords a prime example of this key leadership dilemma. Competing approaches
to how to deal with Henry Ford's virulent anti‐Semitism and extensive hate
speech in the 1920s underscore the familiar, yet seldom carefully analyzed,
tension between confrontation and negotiation that is often faced by outside
groups and their spokesmen who seek change, wish to defend themselves,
and/or hope for increased inclusion.
High‐End Demand: The Legal Profession as a Source of Judicial Selection Reform in Urban China
Authors: Kinkel Jonathan J.
Published: November 2015

Most studies of comparative judicial politics suggest that judicial autonomy emerges from democratic competition, but despite its authoritarian political system, China has introduced reforms that increase merit‐based competition, transparency, and modest professional autonomy in local courts. Variations in judicial selection procedures across urban China reflect differences in local markets for professional legal services: when mid‐ranking judges can easily find lucrative local employment as lawyers, court leaders strategically reform appointment and promotion mechanisms to retain these young, but experienced, judges. These findings are based on nearly fifteen months of in‐country fieldwork, conducted between 2012 and 2014, including forty‐nine interviews with judges across three different cities: Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Chengdu. Employing the subnational comparative method, this article not only builds theory regarding the legal profession's role in authoritarian states, but also offers new empirical detail regarding the selection, performance evaluation, and behavior of judges in urban China.
Magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate gastrointestinal function
Authors: Alyami J. , Spiller R. C. , Marciani L.
Published: November 2015

Magnetic resonance imaging of gastrointestinal (GI) function has advanced substantially in the last few years. The ability to obtain high resolution images of the undisturbed bowel with tunable tissue contrast and using no ionizing radiation are clear advantages, particularly for children and women of reproductive age. Barriers to diffusion in clinical practice so far include the need to demonstrate clinical value and the burden of data processing. Both difficulties are being addressed and the technique is providing novel insights into both upper and lower GI disorders of function at an ever increasing rate.
One‐Year Clinical Outcome of Pulmonary Vein Isolation Using the Second‐Generation Cryoballoon: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: HE XIN , CHEN YILI , ZHOU YUE , HUANG YIYI , HE JIANGUI
Published: November 2015

Background

The second‐generation cryoballoon (CB‐2G) is a promising technique to treat atrial fibrillation (AF). It is necessary to summarize and analyze the available data on 1‐year clinical outcome of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with CB‐2G.

Methods

PubMed and the Web of Science were searched in May 2015. Studies that reported the 1‐year clinical success rates after PVI using CB‐2G were included. The 1‐year clinical success rates were pooled using the random‐effect model. Complication rates and acute success rates were also analyzed. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on AF type and ablation strategy.

Results

Fifteen studies involving 2,363 AF patients met the inclusion criteria. The overall clinical success rate of PVI using CB‐2G was 81%. A total of 82% of paroxysmal AF patients and 70% of persistent AF patients were in stable sinus rhythm 1 year after the procedure. The clinical success rates of the “no‐bonus” strategy were 81% in all patients, 82% in paroxysmal AF patients, and 73% in persistent AF patients. The corresponding success rates of the “bonus” strategy were 81%, 83%, and 63%. Acute success rate was high. The overall rates of phrenic nerve palsy (PNP) and other procedure‐related complications were 5.8% and 1.5%, respectively. Compared with “bonus” strategy, there was a trend of fewer PNPs in “no‐bonus” strategy (4.6% vs 6.5%).

Conclusions

CB‐2G is highly effective in the treatment of both paroxysmal AF and persistent AF. The “no‐bonus” strategy is as effective as the “bonus” strategy in terms of 1‐year clinical outcome.
Food Allergy in childhood: phenotypes, prevention and treatment
Authors: Sánchez‐García Silvia , Cipriani Francesca , Ricci Giampaolo
Published: November 2015

The prevalence of food allergy in childhood increased in the last decades, especially in Westernized countries where this phenomenon has been indicated as a second wave of the allergic epidemic. In parallel, scientific interest also increased with the effort to explain the reasons of this sudden rise and to identify potential protective and risk factors. A great attention has been focused on early exposures to allergenic foods, as well as on other nutritional factors or supplements that may influence the immune system in a positive direction. Both interventions on maternal diet before birth or during breastfeeding and then directly on infant nutrition have been investigated. Furthermore, the natural history of food allergy also seems to be changing over time; IgE‐mediated cow's milk allergy and egg allergy seem to be more frequently a persistent rather than a transient disease in childhood, as described in the last years. Food avoidance and the emergency drugs in case of an adverse event, such as epinephrine self‐injector, are currently the first‐line treatment in patients with food allergies, with a resulting impairment in the quality of life and social behaviour. During the last decade, oral immunotherapy emerged as an optional treatment with remarkable results, offering a novel perspective in the treatment for and management of food allergy.
Topic shift impairs pronoun resolution during sentence comprehension: Evidence from event‐related potentials
Authors: Xu Xiaodong , Zhou Xiaolin
Published: November 2015

This study investigated how topic shift and topic continuation influence pronoun interpretation in Chinese. ERPs recorded on pronouns in topic structure showed stronger and earlier late positive responses (P600) for the topic‐shift than for the topic‐continuation conditions. However, in nontopic structure where the subject (denoting only subjecthood), rather than the topic (denoting both topichood and subjecthood), acted as the antecedent of the pronoun, almost indistinguishable P600 responses were obtained on the pronoun regardless of whether it was referring to the subject (i.e., subject continuation) or the object (i.e., subject shift). Moreover, stronger and earlier P600 responses were elicited by pronouns in the topic‐shift than in the subject‐shift conditions, although there was no difference between the topic‐continuation and the subject‐continuation conditions. These findings suggest that topic shift results in greater difficulty in the resolution stage of referential processing, although the bonding process is not sensitive to the manipulation of topic status, and that topic has a privileged cognitive status relative to other nontopic entities (e.g., subject) in real‐time language processing.
Flow Cytometric Chromosomal Sex Sorting of Stallion Spermatozoa Induces Oxidative Stress on Mitochondria and Genomic DNA
Authors: Balao da Silva CM , Ortega‐Ferrusola C , Morrell JM , Rodriguez Martínez H , Peña FJ
Published: November 2015

Contents

To date, the only repeatable method to select spermatozoa for chromosomal sex is the Beltsville sorting technology using flow cytometry. Improvement of this technology in the equine species requires increasing awareness of the modifications that the sorting procedure induces on sperm intactness. Oxidative stress is regarded as the major damaging phenomenon, and increasing evidence regards handling of spermatozoa – including sex sorting – as basic ground for oxidative damage. The aim of this study was to disclose whether the flow cytometric sorting procedure increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and to identify if ROS production relates to DNA damage in sorted spermatozoa using specific flow cytometry‐based assays. After sorting, oxidative stress increased from 26% to 33% in pre‐ and post‐incubation controls, to 46% after sex sorting (p < 0.05). Proportions of DNA fragmentation index post‐sorting were approximately 10% higher (31.3%); an effect apparently conduced via oxidative DNA damage as revealed by the oxyDNA assay. The probable origin of this increased oxidative stress owes the removal of enough seminal plasma due to the unphysiological sperm extension, alongside a deleterious effect of high pressure on mitochondria during the sorting procedure.
The Healing Power of the Gift Healing Services and Remuneration in Rakhine (Western Myanmar)
Authors: Coderey Céline
Published: November 2015

Based on data that have been collected during several field trips to Rakhine State, this article describes the way the movements of services and goods in the healing sector take place and are interpreted by local people and outlines the factors underlying these performances and interpretations and their meaning with regard the healing process itself. Although from an etic point of view, most transfers that take place in the healing sector represent an exchange—provision of service vs. remuneration—from a local point of view, this interpretation is valid only for a restricted number of transfers—mainly those that occur in the modern medical sector. Otherwise, in traditional sectors, people generally recognize this exchange dimension as having only a secondary role when they are not hiding or denying it. Here, the prevailing concept is a succession of gifts that are provided out of loving‐kindness and generosity. Healing is sometimes perceived simply as an act of loving‐kindness sometimes even as a dana, while remuneration is understood as an expression of gratitude and respect (kadaw) for the healer and their knowledge but also as an act of loving‐kindness and generosity performed as a spontaneous reflection to the healer's act of loving‐kindness and generosity. However, since Buddhism is predominant in Rakhine society and culture, even though healing in the modern therapeutic sector is mainly performed as a (remunerable) service, it is nevertheless apprehended through the Buddhist logic. Indeed, in resisting changes and the complexification of the health sector and the emergence of modern biomedicine, the concept of a donation ideally performed out of generosity and loving‐kindness is the reference in relation to which all healing interactions are evaluated and judged.

The dana and kadaw practices and the virtues of loving‐kindness and generosity represent the cornerstone of the system and reinforce the harmonious articulation between Buddhist, social, economic, and therapeutic logics: by helping to increase the patient's karma as well as the healer's respectability and efficacy while at the same time contributing to the latter's subsistence, they ensure the perpetuation of social, spiritual, and therapeutic relations between healers and patients. And yet, despite the pivotal roles played by Buddhist concepts and values and, more generally, the dominant position of the Buddhist logic, the others' logics at play maintain a certain degree of independence and do sometimes dominate. This goes towards explaining that sometimes the act of healing is performed (or is considered to be performed) with no loving‐kindness and there is therefore no remuneration at all.
Gifts and the Selfless Work Ethic in Tibetan Buddhist Centres in France
Authors: Campergue Cecile
Published: November 2015

Tibetan Buddhism has gained ground in France since it arrived there in the 1970s. As the most publicized form and the one most practised by Westerners, Tibetan Buddhism is embodied in France in many places of worship—some of which are of monumental proportions—run by Tibetan and Western masters (lamas). In France, ‘dharma centres’, as places of worship, cannot be subsidized by the State like other faiths (with some exceptions): their main source of income comes from the donations (in various forms) from disciples and other sympathizers. The Buddhist meritorious gift takes very different forms here, depending on French cultural, institutional and legal constraints. Moreover, donation practices have adapted to the masters' new public: a Western audience from a Christian background, which is unfamiliar with Buddhism and the meritorious gift, and which on the whole has to pay for Buddhist teachings. Dharma centres also offer a wide variety of religious services in exchange for payments—in effect, market exchanges that are dissimulated behind a euphemized discourse of the ‘gift’. Bourdieu's analysis therefore proves relevant to our understanding of the giving practices recorded during our fieldwork.
On Local Power Properties of Frequency Domain‐based Tests for Stationarity
Authors: Paparoditis Efstathios , Preuß Philip
Published: November 2015

A framework for the asymptotic analysis of local power properties of tests of stationarity in time series analysis is developed. Appropriate sequences of locally stationary processes are defined that converge at a controlled rate to a limiting stationary process as the length of the time series increases. Different interesting classes of local alternatives to the null hypothesis of stationarity are then considered, and the local power properties of some recently proposed, frequency domain‐based tests for stationarity are investigated. Some simulations illustrate our theoretical findings.
Political Conflict and Direct Democracy: Explaining Initiative Use 1920‐2011
Authors: Leemann Lucas
Published: November 2015

Political competition is the engine for representative democracy. Within the representation mechanics I look at the political space, the dimensionality of political conflict, and how parties try to affect the relative salience of different dimensions by using direct democratic institutions. The leading question is how we can explain initiative use. The paper asks how the costs and benefits of using initiatives affect parties when they decide whether to use this instrument or not. The major argument is that when party competition increases, we will see higher initiative frequencies because parties try to affect the saliency of specific issues to increase their electoral bases. I analyze annual submission rates, the content of proposed initiatives, and the changing share of partisan actors behind initiatives. The findings highlight that the consequences of direct democratic institutions go beyond changing policy outcomes. For the specific case at hand, Switzerland from 1920 to 2011, it is shown that despite numerous opposite claims, there has been no underlying change in strategy or equilibrium but just a slow evolution of underlying factors such as institutional requirements and partisan competition.
A novel HLA‐A*02 variant, HLA‐A*02:575, detected in a Taiwanese bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell donor
Authors: Yang K. L. , Hung J. H. , Lin P. Y.
Published: November 2015

One nucleotide substitution at residue 410 of HLA‐A*02:07:01 results in a new allele, HLA‐A*02:575.
Genotype frequency of human neutrophil antigen‐3 polymorphisms in the Yi, Han, and Tibetan populations of China
Authors: Chen Qing , Srivastava Kshitij , Liu Zhong , Xiao Jianyu , Huang Chengyin , Sun Jun , Li Min , Flegel Willy Albert
Published: November 2015

BACKGROUND

Human neutrophil antigen‐3 (HNA‐3) alloantibodies can cause fatal transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI). Most frequencies of SLC44A2 alleles encoding the HNA‐3a/b antigens have been established in Han individuals by polymerase chain reaction with sequence‐specific priming (PCR‐SSP). We sequenced SLC44A2 gene fragments and determined allele frequencies in three ethnicities of China.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Genomic DNA was extracted from 448 samples of 100 blood donors of Yi ethnicity in Xichang, Liangshan; 248 Han in Nanjing, Jiangsu; and 100 Tibetan in Lhasa, Tibet. A PCR‐SSP was applied to determine the phase of two single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs); SLC44A2 haplotypes were constructed.

RESULTS

In the 567 nucleotides of the SLC44A2 gene covered by our sequencing approach in Han individuals, we detected the known 331‐44G>A (rs12972963) and 461G>A (rs2288904) polymorphisms. In the 243 nucleotides sequenced in Yi and Tibetan populations, we detected the known 461G>A and 503‐15T>C (rs1560711) polymorphisms. A PCR‐SSP for the common HNA‐3a/b SNP was 100% concordant. The frequencies of the HNA‐3a allele were 0.58, 0.66, and 0.69 in Yi, Han (Nanjing), and Tibetan, respectively (0.42, 0.34, and 0.31 for HNA‐3b).

CONCLUSIONS

The Yi population of China had the highest frequency of blood donors at risk of harboring anti‐HNA‐3a compared to any population studied so far. We confirmed that the underlying SLC44A2*2 allele is more common in China than in any European or African populations.
Pancreatic islet autotransplantation for nonmalignant and malignant indications
Authors: Tanhehco Yvette C. , Weisberg Stuart , Schwartz Joseph
Published: November 2015

The standard therapy for patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) and severe abdominal pain is total pancreatectomy (TP) followed by islet autotransplantation (IAT) to prevent the development of brittle diabetes. In adult patients, narcotic independence is achieved in up to 73% of patients 1 to 5 years after transplantation whereas insulin independence is achieved in up to 40% of patients 1 to 2 years after transplantation. Pediatric patients have shown similar outcomes for narcotic independence (up to 79%) but better outcomes for insulin independence (up to 56% 1 year after transplantation). The quality of life of both adult and pediatric patients improved significantly after TP‐IAT using the Medical Outcomes Study SF‐36 survey. IAT after pancreatectomy is also performed for patients with benign and malignant disease of the pancreas. The limited studies in this patient population suggest that IAT may be potentially beneficial for carefully selected patients when sufficient numbers of islet cells can be isolated. Further studies involving a larger number of patients are needed to determine the risks and benefits of IAT in patients with malignancy. The feasibility of IAT depends on the availability of a laboratory that can isolate the pancreatic islet cells. An on‐site laboratory is the traditional model; however, remote processing of pancreatic islets has been reported to result in successful outcomes. This review discusses the outcomes of adult and pediatric autologous pancreatic islet cell transplantation for CP and pancreatic tumors as well as laboratory processing of pancreatic islet cells.
Risk of Osteosarcoma in Dogs After Open Fracture Fixation
Authors: Arthur Elizabeth G. , Arthur Gerald L. , Keeler Matthew R. , Bryan Jeffrey N.
Published: November 2015

Objective

To critically evaluate whether open fracture fixation is a significant risk factor for latent osteosarcoma development.

Study Design

Case–control study.

Sample Population

Dogs undergoing open fracture repair and dogs diagnosed with osteosarcoma.

Methods

Records were retrieved from the Veterinary Medical Database VMDB (1970–2000) for dogs undergoing surgical repair of a fracture and dogs diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Dogs with open reduction of joint luxation, dogs diagnosed with bacterial cystitis, and dogs diagnosed with urinary bladder transitional cell carcinoma (UBTCC) were queried as comparison populations. Relative risk for osteosarcoma development was determined.

Results

From a population of 19,041 fractures treated surgically, 15 of those dogs subsequently appeared in the VMDB with osteosarcoma affecting the same bone. The relative risk of a fracture repair and associated orthopedic implants and osteosarcoma occurrence was equivalent to the relative risk of open joint reduction and osteosarcoma occurrence (95% confidence interval; 0.998–1.00). The relative risk of having bacterial cystitis and appearing again in the VMDB with UBTCC was higher than the risk of open fracture repair and a subsequent diagnosis of osteosarcoma (P < .02).

Conclusion

The incidence of fracture‐related osteosarcoma may be significantly less than previously estimated based on cases queried from the VMDB. Although possible cases of implant‐associated osteosarcoma were identified, their occurrence was rare. Elective implant removal for the purpose of reducing the risk of osteosarcoma after fracture repair may not be warranted and merits further investigation.
Ageing and gastrointestinal sensory function: altered colonic mechanosensory and chemosensory function in the aged mouse
Authors: Keating Christopher , Nocchi Linda , Yu Yang , Donovan Jemma , Grundy David
Published: November 2015

Key points

Remarkably little is known about how age affects the sensory signalling pathways in the gastrointestinal tract despite age‐related gastrointestinal dysfunction being a prime cause of morbidity amongst the elderly population

High‐threshold gastrointestinal sensory nerves play a key role in signalling distressing information from the gut to the brain.

We found that ageing is associated with attenuated high‐threshold afferent mechanosensitivity in the murine colon, and associated loss of TRPV1 channel function.

These units have the capacity to sensitise in response to injurious events, and their loss in ageing may predispose the elderly to lower awareness of GI injury or disease.

Ageing has a profound effect upon gastrointestinal function through mechanisms that are poorly understood. Here we investigated the effect of age upon gastrointestinal sensory signalling pathways in order to address the mechanisms underlying these changes. In vitro mouse colonic and jejunal preparations with attached splanchnic and mesenteric nerves were used to study mechanosensory and chemosensory afferent function in 3‐, 12‐ and 24‐month‐old C57BL/6 animals. Quantitative RT‐PCR was used to investigate mRNA expression in colonic tissue and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells isolated from 3‐ and 24‐month animals, and immunohistochemistry was used to quantify the number of 5‐HT‐expressing enterochromaffin (EC) cells. Colonic and jejunal afferent mechanosensory function was attenuated with age and these effects appeared earlier in the colon compared to the jejunum. Colonic age‐related loss of mechanosensory function was more pronounced in high‐threshold afferents compared to low‐threshold afferents. Chemosensory function was attenuated in the 24‐month colon, affecting TRPV1 and serotonergic signalling pathways. High‐threshold mechanosensory afferent fibres and small‐diameter DRG neurons possessed lower functional TRPV1 receptor responses, which occurred without a change in TRPV1 mRNA expression. Serotonergic signalling was attenuated at 24 months, but TPH1 and TPH2 mRNA expression was elevated in colonic tissue. In conclusion, we saw an age‐associated decrease in afferent mechanosensitivity in the mouse colon affecting HT units. These units have the capacity to sensitise in response to injurious events, and their loss in ageing may predispose the elderly to lower awareness of GI injury or disease.
Estudio preliminar de la fauna en el morro de basuras de Moravia y presencia de metales pesados en artrópodos y roedores
Authors: Sánchez María Solange , Bedoya Alejandra , Barahona Rolando
Published: November 2015

Characterization of the species present in a given locality by means of biological inventories provides information about diversity, even if it is done in disturbed environments such as open dumps, which are considered a threat for health due to the accumulation of heavy metals that are well known for their negative effects on human health and the environment. Objectives. To carry out a preliminary characterization of arthropods and non-flying small mammals in the Morro de Moravia open dump, and to determine the heavy metal contents in animal tissue samples. Materials and Methods. Arthropods were collected with pitfall traps and manually. Rodents were captured with Sherman traps. The heavy metal analysis was carried out with atomic spectroscopy. Results. A total of 9 orders, 51 families and 75 morphospecies of insects, 5 families of spiders, two syrphid and a millipede species were identified; Mus musculus was the only small mammal species identified. Heavy metal analysis showed various concentrations mainly of Pb and Cd. The highest content of Pb (45.05 mg/kg) was found in samples of M. musculus and the highest Cd content (10.31 mg/kg) was found in spiders of the family Gasteracantha. Conclusions. The Morro de Moravia open dump provides conditions that allow the establishment of an arthropod community with various diets and niches. The transference of heavy metals from the residue matrix towards higher levels of the trophic chain was corroborated.

Key words: arthropods, biological inventories, cadmium, Mus musculus, lead