bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sixty-Four-Slice Multidetector Computerized Tomography in the Evaluation of Transmesenteric Internal Hernias following Roux-en-Y Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Al-Saeed Osama , Fahmy Dalia , Kombar Osama , Hasan Ali
Published: August 2013

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of 64-slice multidetector computerized tomography (MDCT) in the detection of transmesenteric internal hernias in patients following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) for bariatric surgery patients. Subjects and Methods: This retrospective study was performed on post-bariatric RYGB patients presenting with signs and symptoms suggestive of internal hernias at our institution from the period of April 2010 until March 2012. The patients who had symptoms suggestive of internal hernia had undergone 64-slice MDCT. All the patients who on CT examination were found to have features suggestive of internal hernia were subjected to laparoscopic exploration. Results: Of the 102 patients who had undergone laparoscopic RYGB, 42 (41.2%) were suspected of having internal hernia. Of these, 23 (55%) had CT findings of hernia while the remaining 19 (45%) were considered normal. Of the 23, 21 (91%) patients were confirmed for internal hernia at laparoscopy. The 19 (45%) patients that did not reveal any signs for internal hernia on CT and the 2 patients that were considered normal on laparoscopy were treated conservatively. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values for MDCT in the diagnosis of internal hernias were 100, 90.5, 91 and 91.3% respectively. Conclusion: The 64-slice MDCT was accurate in the diagnosis of transmesenteric internal hernias in post-RYGB for bariatric surgery patients. The presence of clustered loops with mesenteric swirl is a reliable indicator of transmesenteric internal hernia.
Is Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Useful for Detecting Bladder Lesions? A Meta-Analysis of the Literature
Authors: Wang Ningjian , Jiang Peng , Lu Yingli
Published: August 2013

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) in the detection of bladder lesions. Methods: We conducted a systematic PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase database search of articles published before November 2012. Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio were pooled. A summary receiver operating characteristic curve was also used to summarize overall test performance. All meta-analyses were performed using the Meta-DiSc software (version 1.4). Results: Six studies met the inclusion criteria. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of PET or PET/CT for the detection of bladder cancer was 80.0% (95% CI: 71.0-87.0%) and 84.0% (95% CI: 69.0-93.0%), respectively. The overall positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio were 3.47 (95% CI: 1.03-11.65), 0.31 (95% CI: 0.13-0.70) and 13.86 (95% CI: 2.84-67.74), respectively. Besides, the area (± standard error) under the symmetrical summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.8574 ± 0.0704. Conclusion: When compared with results of MRI and CT published by other studies, 18F-FDG PET or PET/CT showed no superiority in detecting local bladder lesions. As a whole body imaging, it is suggested that PET is more appropriate for the detection of metastasis.
Clinical Usefulness of Endoscopic Palliation in Patients with Biliary Obstruction Caused by Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Choi Jonggi , Shim Ju Hyun , Park Do Hyun , Lee Sang Soo , Seo Dong Wan , Lee Sung Koo , Kim Myung-Hwan , Kim Kang Mo , Lim Young-Suk , Chung Young-Hwa , Lee Yung Sang , Suh Dong Jin , Lee Han Chu
Published: August 2013

Background/Aims: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of endoscopic biliary drainage (EBD) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A total of 111 jaundiced patients underwent attempted EBD for relief of HCC-related biliary stricture at our hospital over a 5-year period and all were included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. Results: After an endoscopic attempt at drainage, 46 (41.4%) of the 111 patients achieved a favorable response. Biliary cannulation failed in 5 patients. Child-Pugh class C, portal vein thrombosis and severe hyperbilirubinemia were negatively correlated with a favorable EBD response. In the ITT population, 40 (87.0%) of the favorable responders received further treatment for HCC, >2 (3.1%) of the unfavorable responders (p < 0.001). The median survival time for ITT patients with and without a favorable response to EBD was 8.7 and 1.3 months, respectively (p < 0.001). Cox's model showed that a favorable EBD response was an independent predictor of longer survival (hazard ratio 0.20, p < 0.001). Conclusions: For HCC patients with tumor-related biliary obstruction, predictors of effective endoscopic palliation of cholestasis were relatively mild hyperbilirubinemia and preserved liver function and intact portal vein flow. A favorable EBD response was associated with longer survival outcomes.
Nurse-to-Patient Ratios and Neonatal Outcomes: A Brief Systematic Review
Authors: Sherenian Michael , Profit Jochen , Schmidt Barbara , Suh Sanghee , Xiao Rui , Zupancic John A.F. , DeMauro Sara B.
Published: August 2013

Background: Higher patient-to-nurse ratios and nursing workload are associated with increased mortality in the adult intensive care unit (ICU). Most neonatal ICUs (NICUs) in the United Kingdom do not meet national staffing recommendations. The impact of staffing on outcomes in the NICU is unknown. Objective: To determine how nurse-to-patient ratios or nursing workload affects outcomes in the NICU. Methods: Two authors (M.S., S.S.) searched PubMed, Medline, and EMBASE for eligible studies. Included studies reported on both the outcomes of infants admitted to a NICU and nurse-to-patient ratios or workload, and were published between 1/1990 and 4/2010 in any language. The primary outcome was mortality before discharge, relative to nurse-to-patient ratios. Secondary outcomes were intraventricular hemorrhage, daily weight gain, days on assisted ventilation, days on oxygen and nosocomial infection. Study quality was assessed with the STROBE checklist. Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Three reported on the same group of patients. Only four studies reported death before discharge from the NICU relative to nurse-to-patient ratios. Three reported an association between lower nurse-to-patient ratios and higher mortality, and one reported just the opposite. Because each study used a different definition of nurse staffing, a meta-analysis could not be performed. Conclusions: Nurse-to-patient ratios appear to affect outcomes of neonatal intensive care, but limitations of the existing literature prevent clear conclusions about optimal staffing strategies. Evidence-based standards for staffing could impact public policy and lead to improvements in patient safety and decreased rates of adverse outcomes. More research on this subject, including a standard and valid measure of nursing workload, is urgently needed.
A Case of Podocytic Infolding Glomerulopathy with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
Authors: Iguchi Akira , Sohma Ayako , Yamazaki Hajime , Ito Tomoyuki , Saeki Takako , Ito Yumi , Imai Naohumi , Osawa Yutaka , Narita Ichiei
Published: August 2013

Podocytic infolding glomerulopathy (PIG) has been proposed as a new disease entity. A 14-year-old girl underwent renal biopsy at our institution because of a chance finding of proteinuria. Light microscopic findings revealed a minor glomerular abnormality, but under a higher magnification, after periodic acid methenamine silver staining, a bubbling appearance in the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) was observed. An electron microscopic examination revealed microspheres in the GBM, which were sparse but global. The patient was diagnosed as having PIG. After 3 years, her urinary protein had increased and a second biopsy was performed, showing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in addition to a lesser degree of podocytic infolding than at the first biopsy. This is the first report of a case complicated by a different type of glomerulonephritis after being diagnosed as PIG. A few cases of PIG are complicated by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, suggesting several mechanisms for the disorder.
Age-associated pro-inflammatory adaptations of the mouse thoracic aorta
Authors: Hemmeryckx Bianca , Hoylaerts Marc F. , Deloose Eveline , Van Hove Cor E. , Fransen Paul , Bult Hidde , Lijnen H. Roger
Published: August 2013

Arterial ageing may be associated with a reduction in vasodilation due to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, whereas endothelial cell activation induces procoagulant changes. However, little is known on the effect of ageing on expression of anticoagulant endothelial markers such as endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR). To study age-associated alterations in smooth muscle cell (SMC) and endothelial cell (EC) structure and function, the aorta was isolated from 10-week-and 12– and 24-month-old C57BL/6J mice and analysed for its expression of genes involved in senescence, oxidative stress production, coagulation and matrix remodelling. In addition, vasorelaxation experiments were performed using 10-week-and 24-month-old thoracic aortic ring segments in organ chamber baths. The media thickness of the thoracic aorta progressively increased with age, associated with hypertrophy of vascular SMCs. Basal nitric oxide production and sensitivity to acetylcholine-mediated vasodilation in thoracic aorta rings was reduced with age, whereas no significant differences in ROS production could be demonstrated. Gene expression of tissue factor, EPCR and von Willebrand factor was not affected by ageing of the aorta, whereas that of thrombomodulin was mildly reduced and that of xanthine dehydrogenase, NADPH oxidase 4, tumour necrosis factor-α and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 significantly enhanced. In conclusion, a reduction in endothelial cell-mediated vasodilation in aged thoracic aortas of C57BL/6J mice was accompanied by a shift towards a pro-inflammatory state of the endothelium.
Identification of poor response to P2Y12 inhibitors in ACS patients with a new ELISA-based vasodilator-associated stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation assay
Authors: Abtan Jérémie , Silvain Johanne , Kerneis Mathieu , O’Connor Stephen A. , Barthélémy Olivier , Vignalou Jean-Baptiste , Beygui Farzin , Brugier Delphine , Collet Jean-Philippe , Montalescot Gilles
Published: August 2013

A new ELISA technique has been developed to measure the vasodilator-associated stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) platelet reactivity index (PRI) in clopidogrel-treated patients. This technique has not been evaluated in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients or in prasugrel-treated patients. We assessed the accuracy of ELISA-VASP to identify high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR) in ACS patients in comparison with established platelet function tests. Platelet reactivity was measured in 240 ACS patients treated with clopidogrel (75 or 150 mg) or prasugrel (5 or 10 mg) using flow cytometry (FC-VASP) and the ELISA-VASP technique, light transmission aggregometry (LTA) and VerifyNow-P2Y12 assay (VN-P2Y12). When using the ELISA-VASP PRI, the rate of patients with HPR in the overall ACS population was 15.5%, including a 27% rate in clopidogrel-treated patients and a 4% rate in prasugrel-treated patients. There was a strong correlation between ELISA-VASP PRI and FC-VASP PRI (r = 0.83, r2 = 0.68 p < 0.0001) with an area under the receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve to identify HPR (VASP-PRI >50% with FC-VASP) of 0.94, p<0.0001. The threshold of 60% for ELISA-VASP PRI provided the best accuracy (likelihood ratio= 23.67) to identify patients with HPR when compared to FC-VASP, LTA or VN-P2Y12 assays. In conclusion, ELISA-VASP is a fast, easy-to-use and specific test to identify HPR in ACS patients on thienopyridines. A 60% threshold value displays the best accuracy to identify HPR in these patients.
Physician Volume, Specialty, and Outcomes of Care for Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Joynt Karen E. , Orav E. John , Jha Ashish K.
Published: August 2013

Background—

There is an urgent need to improve outcomes and reduce costs for patients with heart failure (HF). Physician volume is associated with better outcomes for patients undergoing procedures, but its association with outcomes for medically managed diseases, such as HF, is not well understood.

Methods and Results—

We used Medicare inpatient data in 2009 to examine all HF admissions to acute care hospitals in the United States. We divided physicians into quintiles according to their volume of patients with HF. We used patient-level regression to compare 30-day risk-adjusted mortality, readmissions, and costs across volume groups, controlling for patient, physician, and hospital characteristics. We examined physician volume within strata of hospital volume and physician specialty. Patients cared for by the high-volume physicians had lower mortality than those by the low-volume physicians (8.9% versus 9.7%;
P
<0.001); this relationship was strongest in low-volume hospitals. In contrast, patients cared for by high-volume physicians had higher readmission rates (25.8% versus 21.5%;
P
<0001); this relationship was similar across hospital volume groups. Finally, costs were higher for the high-volume physicians ($8982 versus $8731;
P
=0.002, a difference that was consistent across hospital volume groups). The relationship between physician volume and mortality was strongest for internists (9.2% versus 10.6%;
P
<0.001) and weakest for cardiologists (6.4% versus 6.7%;
P
=0.485).

Conclusions—

Physician volume is associated with lower mortality for HF, particularly in low-volume institutions and among noncardiologist physicians. Our findings suggest that clinician expertise may play an important role in HF care.
The Feminization of Control: Female Militia and Social Order in Iran
Authors: Golkar Saeid
Published: August 2013

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the evolution of the Women’s Basij Organization and its role in maintaining social order in Iran. This paper examines how and why the Islamic republic of Iran (IRI) uses female Basij members as agents of social control. During the past three decades, the IRI has recruited and indoctrinated a group of Iranian women through the Women’s Basij Organization, and has used these women to guard Islamic values and manners in Iranian society. In this way, female Basijis have been crucial to the Islamic Republic’s strategy to penetrate Iranian families and institutionalize social and political order in post-revolutionary Iran.
Zoroastrian Exegetical Parables in the Škand Gumānīg Wizār
Authors: Thrope Samuel
Published: August 2013

The parable has received little attention as a form in Zoroastrian Pahlavi literature. Taking a first step to correct this deficit, this article examines an extended parable that appears in the Škand Gumānīg Wizār, the ninth century theological and political treatise. The parable likens Ohramzd’s conflict with Ahriman and his creation of the world to a gardener’s attempt to keep hungry vermin from his garden by means of a trap. Borrowing tools developed in the study of rabbinic exegetical parables and poetics, the article argues that the garden parable not only aims to make a theological point as part of its immediate context in the Škand Gumānīg Wizār, but also it itself is an interpretation of the Zoroastrian account of creation. The article shows how the parable reinterprets inconsistencies and contradictions in that cosmogony, relating to the account of creation just as rabbinic parables relate to the gaps in canonical, biblical narratives.
Historische und areale Aspekte der Bodenschatz-Terminologie in den ostkaukasischen Sprachen
Authors: Schulze Wolfgang
Published: August 2013

The present paper discusses the historical background of selected terms in the world of East Caucasian languages that are related to the domain of metallurgy (copper, iron, tin, plumb, gold, and silver) augmented by terms for ‘coal’ and ‘salt’. A closer inspection of these terms shows that none of them can be reconstructed for Proto-East Caucasian. Rather, we have to deal either with terms that have been coined in the intermediate protolanguages (Nakh, Avar-Andian, Tsezian, Lezgian, Lak, Dargwa, and Khinalug) or with more or less recent loans stemming mainly from the Iranian and Turkic languages. The absence of reconstructable terms for the items under review suggests that the speakers of the East Caucasian proto-language had not been involved expressively in metallurgic traditions (as opposed to farming traditions). Tentatively, these speakers can thus be associated with the early farming culture within the complex of the Kuro-Araxes Culture. Only after the protolanguage disintegrated due to the migration of most of its speakers in the Dagestan and the regions of Chechnya, some societies related to these intermediate proto-languages must have been involved more expressively in metallurgic traditions. The more recent loans, e.g. for copper, gold, and silver, stemming from Iranian (Persian) and Turkic (Kumyk and Azeri) illustrate a shift in conceptualising these objects: They were now interpreted as artifacts (rather than as natural resources) that were associated with the cultures of the dominant ‘Oriental’ societies. The paper can be seen as a preliminary study concerning the areal distribution of lexical patterns in the Eastern Caucasus from a historical perspective.
Ethno-Religious Minorities in the Near East: Some Macrohistorical Reflections with Special Reference to the Zazas
Authors: Trompf Garry W.
Published: August 2013

The historical study of ethnic and religious minorities in the Near East presents as an endless task for years ahead. This paper offers a tour d’horizon of key minority issues from ca. 1300 B.C. to the present while plotting the way minorities―whether defeated, put under serious constraint, tolerated or marginalised―have been conceptualised in the historical record. Looking at history this way opens up the richness and importance of ‘minority studies’, and allows for reflection on the history of interpretations of the ‘suppressed other’ over the centuries. The contribution approaches Zaza ethno-religiosity as a brief test case.
H. H. Stevens and the Chinese: The Transition to Conservative Government and the Management of Controls on Chinese Immigration to Canada, 1900-1914
Authors: Gilmour Julie F.
Published: August 2013

This article uses the political life of H. H. Stevens, a Vancouver businessman, Conservative member of parliament, and anti-Asian activist to examine the nature of the relationship between the institutions of Canadian immigration control and the political and ideological context of the time. It shows how the transition from Liberal to Conservative government after the Canadian election of 1911 provides an opportunity to examine the importance of individual and party choices in the implementation of immigration regulations. It becomes clear that the policies of control were subject to a certain amount of improvisation on the part of those responsible for implementing the system and allowed those who had strong opinions to harden the line against Chinese immigration. Further, the article reveals how differences in Liberal and Conservative attitudes on Chinese immigration are clearly not merely differences in racial outlook, but rather differences in individuals’ material position at home and their political calculations in the larger context of the British Empire.
Bringing China In: The New Democratic Party, China, and Multilateralism, 1949-68
Authors: Bangarth Stephanie
Published: August 2013

This article explores the history of Canadian foreign relations with China via the perspective of F. Andrew Brewin, a longtime New Democratic Party (NDP) politician. Brewin was an ardent champion of multilateralism in the 1960s and this approach was reflected in his views on China. These thoughts are most eloquently expressed in the debates in the House of Commons on the recognition and the admission of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) into the United Nations between 1963 and 1970. The NDP was the first political party to recommend the recognition of the PRC and by the 1960s public opinion had warmed sufficiently to the idea. Brewin’s concerns over the general silence on the part of Lester B. Pearson’s Liberal government on this issue reflected his wider concerns about the degree to which Canadian foreign policy was tied to the United States and nuclear proliferation. For Brewin, ending the PRC’s isolation was vital to achieving peace in his time.
Gravity Wave–Fine Structure Interactions. Part II: Energy Dissipation Evolutions, Statistics, and Implications
Authors: Fritts David C. , Wang Ling
Published: August 2013

Part I of this paper employs four direct numerical simulations (DNSs) to examine the dynamics and energetics of idealized gravity wave–fine structure (GW–FS) interactions. That study and this companion paper were motivated by the ubiquity of multiscale GW–FS superpositions throughout the atmosphere. These DNSs exhibit combinations of wave–wave interactions and local instabilities that depart significantly from those accompanying idealized GWs or mean flows alone, surprising dependence of the flow evolution on the details of the FS, and an interesting additional pathway to instability and turbulence due to GW–FS superpositions. This paper examines the mechanical and thermal energy dissipation rates occurring in two of these DNSs. Findings include 1) dissipation that tends to be much more localized and variable than that due to GW instability in the absence of FS, 2) dissipation statistics indicative of multiple turbulence sources, 3) strong influences of FS shears on instability occurrence and turbulence intensities and statistics, and 4) significant differences between mechanical and thermal dissipation rate fields having potentially important implications for measurements of these flows.
The Influence of the AMOC Variability on the Atmosphere in CCSM3
Authors: Frankignoul Claude , Gastineau Guillaume , Kwon Young-Oh
Published: August 2013

The influence of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) variability on the atmospheric circulation is investigated in a control simulation of the NCAR Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3), where the AMOC evolves from an oscillatory regime into a red noise regime. In the latter, an AMOC intensification is followed during winter by a positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The atmospheric response is robust and controlled by AMOC-driven SST anomalies, which shift the heat release to the atmosphere northward near the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Current. This alters the low-level atmospheric baroclinicity and shifts the maximum eddy growth northward, affecting the storm track and favoring a positive NAO. The AMOC influence is detected in the relation between seasonal upper-ocean heat content or SST anomalies and winter sea level pressure. In the oscillatory regime, no direct AMOC influence is detected in winter. However, an upper-ocean heat content anomaly resembling the AMOC footprint precedes a negative NAO. This opposite NAO polarity seems due to the southward shift of the Gulf Stream during AMOC intensification, displacing the maximum baroclinicity southward near the jet exit. As the mode has somewhat different patterns when using SST, the wintertime impact of the AMOC lacks robustness in this regime. However, none of the signals compares well with the observed influence of North Atlantic SST anomalies on the NAO because SST is dominated in CCSM3 by the meridional shifts of the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Current that covary with the AMOC. Hence, although there is some potential climate predictability in CCSM3, it is not realistic.
Detiding Measurement on Transport of the Changjiang-Derived Buoyant Coastal Current
Authors: Wu Hui , Deng Bing , Yuan Rui , Hu Jun , Gu Jinghua , Shen Fang , Zhu Jianrong , Zhang Jing
Published: August 2013

Measuring the transport of the Changjiang (also known as the Yangtze) River–derived buoyant coastal current, that is, the Min–Zhe Coastal Current, is of great importance for understanding the fate of terrestrial materials from this large river into the open ocean, but it is usually difficult to achieve because of the energetic tidal currents along the Chinese coast. In February 2012, a detiding cruise survey was carried out using the phase-averaging method. For the first time, this coastal current has been quantified with in situ data and has been shown to have a volume transport of 0.215 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) and a maximum surface velocity of ~50 cm s−1. The ratio between the volume transport of the buoyant coastal current and that of the Changjiang is O(10). Freshwater transport by the buoyant coastal current accounts for over 90% of the Changjiang River's discharge. Buoyancy and winds are both important in driving this current.
Residual Sediment Fluxes in Weakly-to-Periodically Stratified Estuaries and Tidal Inlets
Authors: Burchard Hans , Schuttelaars Henk M. , Geyer W. Rockwell
Published: August 2013

In this idealized numerical modeling study, the composition of residual sediment fluxes in energetic (e.g., weakly or periodically stratified) tidal estuaries is investigated by means of one-dimensional water column models, with some focus on the sediment availability. Scaling of the underlying dynamic equations shows dependence of the results on the Simpson number (relative strength of horizontal density gradient) and the Rouse number (relative settling velocity) as well as impacts of the Unsteadiness number (relative tidal frequency). Here, the parameter space given by the Simpson and Rouse numbers is mainly investigated. A simple analytical model based on the assumption of stationarity shows that for small Simpson and Rouse numbers sediment flux is down estuary and vice versa for large Simpson and Rouse numbers. A fully dynamic water column model coupled to a second-moment turbulence closure model allows to decompose the sediment flux profiles into contributions from the transport flux (product of subtidal velocity and sediment concentration profiles) and the fluctuation flux profiles (tidal covariance between current velocity and sediment concentration). Three different types of bottom sediment pools are distinguished to vary the sediment availability, by defining a time scale for complete sediment erosion. For short erosion times scales, the transport sediment flux may dominate, but for larger erosion time scales the fluctuation sediment flux largely dominates the tidal sediment flux. When quarter-diurnal components are added to the tidal forcing, up-estuary sediment fluxes are strongly increased for stronger and shorter flood tides and vice versa. The theoretical results are compared to field observations in a tidally energetic inlet.
European security and the accession of Turkey: Identity and foreign policy in the European Commission
Authors: Aydın-Düzgit Senem
Published: August 2013

Following a poststructuralist theorising of identity in international relations, which argues that identity is relationally and discursively constructed through foreign policy, this article attempts to analyse the way in which the European Commission discursively constructs European identit(ies) in its relations with Turkey around the theme of ‘security’. The study utilises the methodological tools of critical discourse analysis in analysing the speeches and field interviews conducted with European Commission officials, in examining the way in which they construct ‘Europe’ in relation to the security implications of Turkish accession. The article’s findings challenge the argument that Europe is moving beyond the modern state to resemble a postmodern order, and problematises the designation of the Commission as a ‘cosmopolitan’ actor in EU enlargement policy.
Book Review: The Province of the Book: Scholars, Scribes, and Scribblers in Colonial Tamilnadu
Authors: Booth Marilyn
Published: August 2013

A.R. Venkatachalapathy, The Province of the Book: Scholars, Scribes, and Scribblers in Colonial Tamilnadu, Delhi: Permanent Black, 2012, pp. 292.
Book Review: History, Bhakti, and Public Memory: Namdev in Religious and Secular Traditions
Authors: Lorenzen David N.
Published: August 2013

Christian Lee Novetzke, History, Bhakti, and Public Memory: Namdev in Religious and Secular Traditions, Ranikhet: Permanent Black, 2009, pp. 309.
Perceptions of Malaysian Office Workers on the Adoption of the Japanese Cool Biz Concept of Energy Conservation
Authors: Aliagha Godwin Uche , Cin Ng Yin
Published: August 2013

Energy efficiency and conservation in buildings are major concerns and priorities for the Malaysian government. The Japanese Cool Biz concept and campaign has proven to be effective in reducing and conserving energy during the summer period, and other countries are beginning to adopt it. Malaysia, as a country with hot weather throughout the year, may have lots to gain from the concept; particularly in the energy management of office buildings. However, Cool Biz is not well known in Malaysia and the perception of Malaysian office workers toward the Cool Biz concept remains unclear. This study seeks to identify the Cool Biz elements that can contribute to and complement energy conservation efforts, and seeks the opinions of Malaysian office workers toward the concept. The study adopts a discriminant analysis methodology to determine if there are significant differences of opinion among gender category, age groups and races in Malaysia on the Cool Biz concept. The findings showed that overall, Malaysians find Cool Biz a good concept. However, there were significant differences in opinion among the social groups. The most significant differences in opinion were within the race category vis-a-vis Malay, Chinese and Indian office workers.
Commuter Effects on Local Labour Markets: A German Modelling Study
Authors: Russo Giovanni , Tedeschi Federico , Reggiani Aura , Nijkamp Peter
Published: August 2013

This paper offers an exploratory investigation of the effects of inbound commuter flows on employment in regional labour markets in Germany. For this purpose, the paper distinguishes three main channels that may transmit the effects concerned: a crowding-out mechanism and two labour demand effects—namely, an aggregate demand effect and a positive externality on vacancy creation. The results bring to light that, on the whole, commuter flows have a positive and robust effect on both employment and the number of jobs in the receiving labour market districts, but a distinctly negative effect on the share of jobs filled by resident workers. The implications of the results are interpreted and, finally, ways are suggested in which the analysis could be improved and expanded.
The modified Hilbert path for mobile-beacon-based localization in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Farmani Mojtaba , Moradi Hadi , Dehghan SM Mehdi , Asadpour Masoud
Published: August 2013

Recent works show that the Hilbert curve path for mobile-beacon-based localization in sensor networks has better accuracy than other approaches, such as randomized and circular paths. In this paper, the modified Hilbert curve path is introduced, and its theoretical lower bound error, compared with the basic Hilbert curve path, has been shown using Cramér–Rao lower bound analysis. It is shown that the proposed approach has a more uniform localization accuracy across all the nodes in the environment than the basic Hilbert approach. The simulation results show that this approach, combined with inter-node communication, provides better and close to uniform accuracy compared with previously proposed approaches.
Strangely Familiar: The Uncanny and Unsiting Organizational Analysis
Authors: Beyes Timon , Steyaert Chris
Published: August 2013

This paper focuses on the aesthetics of the uncanny to inquire into and perform affective sites of organizing that are imbued with feelings of uncertainty and uneasiness. We argue that the uncanny forms an ‘unconcept’ that allows us to think and apprehend ‘white spaces’ of organization not as new or other spaces but through a process of relating intensively with the conventional places, streets and squares that form the backdrop to everyday life. We also make use of the notion of ‘unsiting’ to show how organizational research is able to enhance our appreciation of the aesthetic dimension of organization in ways that expose and undermine that which has become familiar and taken-for-granted. Based on an artistic intervention by the theatre collective Rimini Protokoll, we encounter and analyse such processes of unsiting through the affective and spatial doublings at work in the organization of urban space. Theorizing the organizational uncanny opens up new sites/sights in organization by forging an interconnection of the recent affective, spatial and aesthetic ‘turns’ in organizational theory. To do this demands what we call scholarly performances that involve the witnessing and enacting of everyday sites of organizing.
Cannabinoid modulation of chronic mild stress-induced selective enhancement of trace fear conditioning in adolescent rats
Authors: Reich Christian G , Iskander Anthony N , Weiss Michael S
Published: August 2013

History of stress is considered a major risk factor for the development of major depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms of Pavlovian fear conditioning may provide insight into the etiology of PTSD. In the current study, adolescent male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 3 weeks of a chronic-mild-unpredictable stress (CMS) protocol. Immediately following the CMS, the animals were subjected to hippocampal-dependent (trace and contextual) and hippocampal-independent (delay) fear conditioning. CMS exposure enhanced trace freezing behavior compared to non-stress controls. This effect was not observed in contextual or delay conditioned animals. Given that the endocannabinoid system is negatively affected by CMS procedures, separate groups of stressed rats were administered the CB1 receptor agonist, ACEA (0.1 mg/kg), prior to trace fear conditioning or a memory-recall test. Regardless of administration time, ACEA significantly reduced freezing behavior in stressed animals. Furthermore, when administered during the first memory recall test, ACEA enhanced long-term extinction in both stress and non-stress groups. The results demonstrate that chronic unpredictable stress selectively enhances hippocampal-dependent episodic fear memories. Pathologies of the episodic memory and fear response may increase the susceptibility of developing PTSD. Reduction in fear responses via exogenous activation of the CB1 receptor suggests that a deficiency in the endocannabinoid system contributes to this pathology.
How to Write a Systematic Review
Authors: Harris Joshua D. , Quatman Carmen E. , Manring M.M. , Siston Robert A. , Flanigan David C.
Published: August 2013

Background:

The role of evidence-based medicine in sports medicine and orthopaedic surgery is rapidly growing. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are also proliferating in the medical literature.

Purpose:

To provide the outline necessary for a practitioner to properly understand and/or conduct a systematic review for publication in a sports medicine journal.

Study Design:

Review.

Methods:

The steps of a successful systematic review include the following: identification of an unanswered answerable question; explicit definitions of the investigation’s participant(s), intervention(s), comparison(s), and outcome(s); utilization of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines and PROSPERO registration; thorough systematic data extraction; and appropriate grading of the evidence and strength of the recommendations.

Results:

An outline to understand and conduct a systematic review is provided, and the difference between meta-analyses and systematic reviews is described. The steps necessary to perform a systematic review are fully explained, including the study purpose, search methodology, data extraction, reporting of results, identification of bias, and reporting of the study’s main findings.

Conclusion:

Systematic reviews or meta-analyses critically appraise and formally synthesize the best existing evidence to provide a statement of conclusion that answers specific clinical questions. Readers and reviewers, however, must recognize that the quality and strength of recommendations in a review are only as strong as the quality of studies that it analyzes. Thus, great care must be used in the interpretation of bias and extrapolation of the review’s findings to translation to clinical practice. Without advanced education on the topic, the reader may follow the steps discussed herein to perform a systematic review.
Politics as interruption
Authors: Baiocchi Gianpaolo , Connor Brian T
Published: August 2013

In this essay we explore Rancière’s ‘politics of equals’ as an alternative conception of the political. Central to this conception is a division between instances of political contestation that address fundamental questions of equality (‘the politics of equals’) and those that are part of the management of the division of resources and positions in society (‘the police’). This distinction provides a new way of thinking about theoretical and empirical questions over logics of political action.
Adorno and Horkheimer’s collective psychology
Authors: Lamb-Books Benjamin
Published: August 2013

This article demonstrates how Adorno and Horkheimer’s turn to psychoanalytic concepts like sublimation and intra-psychic conflict strengthened critical theory. The piecemeal collective psychology they produced was used to understand fascism and anti-Semitism. But the full significance of these psychoanalytic explanations was concealed by Adorno, who elsewhere denied the possibility of psychology proper after the death of the individual. Adorno and Horkheimer’s underhanded borrowing from psychoanalysis for social analysis had the effect of filtering collective psychology through the lens of regression. To amend this, the article analyzes psychoanalytic explanations from an interpretive perspective, building upon Jessica Benjamin’s psychoanalytic feminism, to contest the tactics of immanent criticism and to revitalize the project of a less dystopic collective psychology.
E and M Circadian Pacemaker Neurons Use Different PDF Receptor Signalosome Components in Drosophila
Authors: Duvall Laura B. , Taghert Paul H.
Published: August 2013

We used real-time imaging to detect cAMP levels in neurons of intact fly brains to study the mechanisms of circadian pacemaker synchronization by the neuropeptide pigment dispersing factor (PDF) in Drosophila. PDF receptor (PDF-R) is expressed by both M (sLNv) and E (LNd) pacemaker subclasses and is coupled to Gsα in both cases. We previously reported that PDF-R in M pacemakers elevates cAMP levels by activating the ortholog of mammalian adenylate cyclase 3 (AC3) but that AC3 disruptions had no effect on E pacemaker sensitivity to PDF. Here, we show that PDF-R in E pacemakers activates a different AC isoform, AC78C, an ortholog of mammalian AC8. Knockdown of AC78C by transgenic RNAi substantially reduces, but does not completely abrogate, PDF responses in these E pacemakers. The knockdown effect is intact when restricted to mature stages, suggesting a physiological and not a development role for AC78C in E pacemakers. The AC78C phenotype is rescued by the overexpression of AC78C but not by overexpression of the rutabaga AC. AC78C overexpression does not disrupt PDF responses in these E pacemakers, and neither AC78C knockdown nor its overexpression disrupted locomotor rhythms. Finally, knockdown of 2 AKAPs, nervy and AKAP200, partially reduces LNd PDF responses. These findings begin to identify the components of E pacemaker PDF-R signalosomes and indicate that they are distinct from PDF-R signalosomes in M pacemakers: we propose they contain AC78C and at least 1 other AC.
The Health, Mental Health, and Well-Being Benefits of Rape Crisis Counseling
Authors: Westmarland Nicole , Alderson Sue
Published: August 2013

There is very little research on interventions to alleviate the distress experienced following rape. This action research project developed and piloted the “Taking Back Control” tool that measured the impact of rape crisis counseling over time. Five rape crisis centers in the North of England agreed to pilot the tool, which was administered by the client’s counselor, either on Week 1 or 2, and then repeated every 6 weeks until the end of counseling. Eighty-seven clients completed at least two questionnaires. This allowed us to measure change from their first compared with their last data collection point. The most change was made in relation to the statement “I feel empowered and in control of my life,” where 61% strongly/disagreed at the first data collection point compared with 31% at the last data collection point. Large shifts were also seen in relation to “I have ‘flashbacks’ about what happened” and “I have panic attacks.” Overall, some degree of positive change was seen for all measures. This research, despite some limitations, begins to develop an evidence base for rape crisis centers to demonstrate their benefits and to assess and develop their own practice.
The great mimic: syphilis mimicking testicular tumour. Conservative management using antibiotics alone with testicular sparing
Authors: Teo S Y , Morris G , Fairley I
Published: August 2013

Summary

We present the case of a 47-year-old man who attended a genitourinary (GU) medicine clinic with posthitis and a painless testicular mass on examination. Initial ultrasound revealed a 2-cm well-defined hypoechoic mass within the right testis and he was referred to urology on suspicion of malignancy. Subsequent syphilis serology was positive and the penile lesion and testicular mass were felt to be consistent with syphilis. After liaising with the urology department, and in view of negative tumour markers (lactate dehydrogenase, alfa-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotrophin) and known penicillin allergy, he was managed conservatively with four weeks of oral doxycycline. Follow-up ultrasound scans revealed adequate response of the testicular mass, with the last scan, performed at 10 months post-treatment, showing complete resolution. This is the first documented case of conservative management of a testicular syphilitic lesion using antibiotics alone with testicular sparing.
From Fan to Fat? Vicarious Losing Increases Unhealthy Eating, but Self-Affirmation Is an Effective Remedy
Authors: Cornil Yann , Chandon Pierre
Published: August 2013

Using archival and experimental data, we showed that vicarious defeats experienced by fans when their favorite football team loses lead them to consume less healthy food. On the Mondays following a Sunday National Football League (NFL) game, saturated-fat and food-calorie intake increase significantly in cities with losing teams, decrease in cities with winning teams, and remain at their usual levels in comparable cities without an NFL team or with an NFL team that did not play. These effects are greater in cities with the most committed fans, when the opponents are more evenly matched, and when the defeats are narrow. We found similar results when measuring the actual or intended food consumption of French soccer fans who had previously been asked to write about or watch highlights from victories or defeats of soccer teams. However, these unhealthy consequences of vicarious defeats disappear when supporters spontaneously self-affirm or are given the opportunity to do so.
Forest disturbance, arboriculture and the adoption of rice in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo
Authors: Jones Samantha E , Hunt Chris O , Barton Huw , Lentfer Carol J , Reimer Paula J
Published: August 2013

Holocene vegetation records are presented from palaeochannels in the southern Kelabit Highlands, at Pa’Dalih (PDH 212) and at Pa’Buda (BPG), and from a peat bog in the northern Kelabit Highlands, at Bario (Ba). Results are based on changes in the sediment lithology, loss-on-ignition, magnetic susceptibility, pollen, phytoliths and other palynomorphs. At Pa’Buda, possible clearance occurred ~6500 cal. BP, perhaps for arboriculture. More pronounced signatures of clearance are at PDH 212 by ~3100 cal. BP, and at Ba by 1300 cal. BP. Propagation/cultivation of the sago palm, Eugeissona, may have been taking place by ~2800 cal. BP at site PDH 212 and was probably taking place by at least 1300 cal. BP at Ba. Rice cultivation may have been taking place between 2800 and 1200 cal. BP at PDH 212, but this remains speculative, due to the morphological features of the Oryza bulliforms, but it was likely taking place at Pa’Dalih by 530–490 cal. BP, where Oryza bulliforms, with characteristics similar to domesticated types are present, and there was a sharp rise in sedimentation, caused by intense burning. At Ba, within the last 600 years, an increase in Palmae phytoliths may signify increasingly intense human impact. In more recent times, both rice and banana cultivation are represented in the phytolith record at Pa’Buda.
Effects of chromium picolinate on the viability of chick embryo fibroblast
Authors: Bai Y , Zhao X , Qi C , Wang L , Cheng Z , Liu M , Liu J , Yang D , Wang S , Chai T
Published: August 2013

Chromium picolinate (CrPic), which is used as a nutritional supplement and to treat type 2 diabetes, has gained much attention because of its cytotoxicity. This study evaluated the effects of CrPic on the viability of the chick embryo fibroblast (CEF) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, morphological detection, and flow cytometry. The results show that lower concentrations of CrPic (8 and 16 μM) did not damage CEF viability ( p > 0.05). However, higher CrPic concentrations (400 and 600 μM) indicated a highly significant effect on the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential, intracellular calcium ion concentration, and the apoptosis rate ( p < 0.01), contrary to lower CrPic concentrations (8 and 16 μM) and control group. Moreover, apoptotic morphological changes induced by these processes in CEF were confirmed using Hoechst 33258 staining. Cell death induced by higher concentrations of CrPic was caused by an apoptotic and a necrotic mechanism, whereas the main mechanism of oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction was apoptotic death.
Migration strategies of crisis-stricken youth in an enlarged European Union
Authors: Kahanec Martin , Fabo Brian
Published: August 2013

This article studies the migration response of young people from new EU Member States to disparate conditions in an enlarged European Union at the onset of the Great Recession. We use Eurobarometer data and probabilistic econometric models to identify the key drivers of the intention to work in another Member State of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the expected duration of stays abroad. We find that migration intentions are high among those not married and among males with children, but both categories are also over-represented among people with only temporary as opposed to long-term or permanent migration plans. Whereas age affects migration intentions negatively, education has no effect on whether working abroad is envisaged. However, conditional on envisaging working abroad, completion of education (if after the 16th birthday) is associated with long-term (at least five years), but not permanent, migration plans. These results suggest a potential for brain circulation rather than brain drain. Finally, we find that socio-demographic variables explain about as much variation of migration intentions as self-reported push and pull factors and migration constraints.