bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trend and Variability of the Atmospheric Water Vapor: A Mean Sea Level Issue
Authors: Thao Soulivanh , Eymard Laurence , Obligis Estelle , Picard Bruno
Published: May 2014

The wet tropospheric path delay is presently the main source of error in the estimation of the mean sea level by satellite altimetry. This correction on altimetric measurements, provided by a dedicated radiometer aboard the satellite, directly depends on the atmospheric water vapor content. Nowadays, water vapor products from microwave radiometers are rather consistent but important discrepancies remain. Understanding these differences can help improve the retrieval of water vapor and reduce at the same time the error on the mean sea level.

Three radiometers are compared: the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), Jason-1 microwave radiometer (JMR), and Envisat microwave radiometer (MWR). Water vapor products are analyzed both in terms of spatial and temporal distribution over the period 2004–10, using AMSR-E as a reference. The Interim ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) data are also included in the study as an additional point of comparison. Overall, the study confirms the general good agreement between the radiometers: similar patterns are observed for the spatial distribution of water vapor and the correlation of the times series is better than 0.90. However, regional discrepancies are observed and a quantitative agreement on the trend is not obtained. Regional discrepancies are driven by the annual cycle. The JMR product shows discrepancies are highly dependent on water vapor, which might be related to calibration issues. Furthermore, triple collocation analysis suggests a possible drift of JMR. MWR discrepancies are located in coastal regions and follow a seasonal dynamic with stronger differences in summer. It may result from processing of the brightness temperatures.
Storm Surge Ensemble Prediction for the City of Venice
Authors: Mel Riccardo , Lionello Piero
Published: May 2014

Sea level (SL) forecast for the city of Venice, Italy, is of paramount importance for the management and maintenance of this historical city and for operating the movable barriers that are presently being built for its protection. In this paper, an ensemble prediction system (EPS; based on an ensemble of 50 simulations) for operational forecasting of storm surge in the northern Adriatic Sea is presented and applied to 10 relatively high storm surge events that occurred in the year 2010. It is shown that storm surge peaks correspond to the maxima of uncertainty (as described by the spread of the EPS members), which increases linearly with the forecast range. Further, the uncertainty in storm surge level is shown to be linked to the uncertainty of the forcing meteorological fields. The quasi-linear dynamics of the storm surges plays a minor role in the evolution of uncertainty, except it produces its oscillation with a period associated with that of the 11-h seiche of the basin. The error of the ensemble mean forecast (EMF) is correlated with the EPS spread. For these cases, the EMF accuracy is very close to that of the high-resolution deterministic forecast (DF) and is more robust than the DF (meaning that its error is consistently smaller than the error of the DF, as the lead time of the forecast varies).
Elevated Homocysteine and the Risk of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy
Authors: Barbieri Lucia , Verdoia Monica , Schaffer Alon , Niccoli Giampaolo , Perrone-Filardi Pasquale , Bellomo Giorgio , Marino Paolo , Suryapranata Harry , Luca Giuseppe De
Published: May 2014

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a common complication in patients with impaired kidney function undergoing coronary angiography/angioplasty. We evaluated whether elevated homocysteine (known to be associated with free radical generation and oxidative stress) increases the risk of CIN. Patients (n = 876) with creatinine clearance <60 mL/min undergoing coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were divided into tertiles of homocysteine levels. Contrast-induced nephropathy was defined as ≥0.5 mg/dL or ≥25% creatinine increase 24 to 48 hours post-PCI. A significant relationship was observed between homocysteine levels and the risk of CIN ( P = .033), confirmed after correction for baseline confounding factors, adjusted odds ratio, OR (95% confidence interval, [CI]) = 1.68 (1.09-2.59), P = .019. This association was also significant applying the new definition of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (11.9% in group 1, 10.4% in group 2, and 22.8% in group 3; P < .001), adjusted OR (95% CI) = 1.96 (1.3-2.95), P = .001. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings and to define the role of homocysteine in CIN.
Insulin resistance and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Marchelek-Myśliwiec Małgorzata , Cichocka Ewa , Dziedziejko Violetta , Dutkiewicz Gra  ż  yna , Stępniewska Joanna , Safranow Krzysztof , Budkowska Marta , Sałata Daria , Syrenicz Anhelli , Machaliński Bogusław , Ciechanowski Kazimierz
Published: May 2014

Introduction:

Insulin resistance is a frequent abnormality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) appearing in early stages. Factors known to promote insulin resistance in CKD patients include disorders of ion and acid–base equilibrium and circulating uremia toxins. Recent research has focused on the central nervous system as the source of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The aim of our work was to study plasma BDNF concentrations in stage 3 and 4 CKD patients in relationship with insulin resistance and distribution of adipose tissue.

Method:

Plasma BDNF concentrations were measured in a study group of 31 patients, including a subgroup of 20 non-diabetic subjects. Additionally dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was performed. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and homeostatic model assessment of B-cell function (HOMA-beta) indices were calculated.

Results:

Two separate analyses were performed. In the first analysis performed in all 31 CKD patients, there were no correlations between BDNF and: body mass index (BMI), android, gynoid fat distribution, HOMA-IR and HOMA-beta. In the second analysis performed in 20 CKD patients without diabetes, BDNF was negatively related to gynoid fat (Rs = −0.47, P = 0.034) and women revealed significantly lower levels of BDNF than men ( P = 0.046). Normotensive patients disclosed significantly higher BDNF levels than hypertensive patients in the whole CKD group ( P = 0.039) and in the non-diabetic subgroup ( P = 0.028). No correlations between BDNF and eGFR were found.

Conclusions:

Female sex and arterial hypertension are associated with lower BDNF plasma concentration in CKD patients.
Consolidating Inter-Media Agenda-Setting Research in Ghana
Authors: Sikanku Godwin Etse
Published: May 2014

Inter-media agenda setting has assumed growing relevance in the field of media and communication studies. However, there is still a paucity of research regarding how the concept operates within the African media landscape. This research attempts to extend the inter-media agenda-setting concept to sub-Saharan Africa by examining relationships between a wire service (Ghana News Agency [GNA]— ghananewsagency.com ) and the online versions of three other news organizations in Ghana ( dailyguide.com , dailygraphic.com , and Ghanaweb.com ). Results indicate that GNA’s agenda at Time 1 influenced the issue agendas of Daily Guide, Daily Graphic, and Ghanaweb at Time 2. There were no reciprocal relationships between the three other news media and GNA. While few previous studies have researched this subject, the present study argues that subjecting inter-media agenda-setting dynamics in Ghana to further tests enables us to better understand the theory’s utility in an emerging African media terrain.
Shifting From Structural to Individual Attributions of Black Disadvantage
Authors: Smith Candis Watts
Published: May 2014

Despite significant changes in American society, Blacks still lag behind Whites on several important socioeconomic indicators. Attributing this gap to structural reasons (e.g., racial discrimination) or to person-centered reasons (e.g., individual willpower) is highly correlated with the extent to which individuals feel that the government should implement policies to ameliorate racial disparities. Scholars have shown that Blacks have shifted their explanations of Black disadvantage from structural attributions to person-centered over the past three decades. Some suggest that this change is because all Blacks are becoming more conservative while others suggest that cohort replacement is undergirding the shift. I used a newly developed method, the intrinsic estimator, to determine whether period, age, and/or cohort effects are responsible for the shift. I find that, generally, Blacks are less inclined to suggest that discrimination is a credible explanation due to period effects, but the increase in person-centered attributions is primarily due to cohort variation.
Isotherm moisture absorption kinetics in natural-fiber-reinforced polymer under immersion conditions
Authors: Fotouh Ahmed , Wolodko John , Lipsett MG
Published: May 2014

In natural-fiber-reinforced polymer, absorption of water or moisture is a significant issue in maintaining strength and stiffness. To enhance the understanding of water and moisture sorption behavior, the kinetics of moisture sorption in natural-fiber-reinforced polymers are investigated under immersion conditions. Samples of hemp-bast-fiber-reinforced polyethylene are prepared using an injection molding technique at different hemp fiber volume fractions (vf). The samples are then immersed in water for 274 days. Moisture content and uptake rate are analyzed at different fiber volume factions and matrix crystallinity percentages. A simplified two-dimensional contraction model is developed to investigate the contraction effect on the moisture uptake; it shows that a matrix with high crystallinity has more stiffness contraction on the reinforcing natural fibers, which limits the maximum amount of the absorbed moisture. The Fickian diffusion is found to be the dominant mechanism, shifting toward pseudo-Fickian or anomalous diffusion depending on the natural fiber volume fraction and the crystallinity percentages of the matrix. The natural-fiber-reinforced polymers diffusivity is evaluated and modeled to characterize the ability of liquid molecules to diffuse into these composites at different hemp fiber volume fractions. Both the crystallinity percentage of the matrix material and the volume fraction of the reinforcing fibers were found to interactively affect the sorption kinetics of the tested natural-fiber-reinforced polymers.
Flame retardant epoxy hybrid composite laminates prepared by vacuum-assisted resin infusion technique
Authors: Chow WS , Chang LN , Jaafar M
Published: May 2014

Epoxy/glass fiber/organo-montmorillonite hybrid composites with triaryl phosphates and decabromodiphenyl oxide flame retardants were prepared by vacuum-assisted resin infusion technique. The effects of triaryl phosphates and decabromodiphenyl oxide on the flammability properties of epoxy/glass fiber/organo-montmorillonite composites were evaluated through UL-94 vertical flammability test and limiting oxygen index. Epoxy/glass fiber/organo-montmorillonite hybrid composite showed no rating in UL-94 test up to 40 phr of triaryl phosphates. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed the amount of char formed increased, denser char structure and better coverage of glass fibers as triaryl phosphates loading increased. Interestingly, the hybridization of 30 phr decabromodiphenyl oxide with respect to 10 phr triaryl phosphates flame retardants showed V-0 rating with limiting oxygen index of 33%.
What can unions do? Addressing multinational relocation in North West Tasmania
Authors: Barton Ruth , Fairbrother Peter
Published: May 2014

Trade unions often face complex and uncertain relations with multinational employers, particularly in old industrial regions. Such corporations have long histories in such regions, often attracted by a range of incentives such as financial support, cheap energy and a skilled workforce. However, the plants themselves often experience changes in ownership and face economic uncertainty. This constitutes the terrain within which recognised unions seek to organise, exercise their capacities and realise their purposes. Workers and their unions organise and operate in these plants, usually developing established routines and practices in relation to the terms and conditions of employment and advocacy of worker concerns. However, they also face difficult choices in relation to corporate decisions to restructure and/or close regional plants. In order for unions to respond to the shifting terrain of the employment landscape they must be able to mobilise around political and economic factors that impact on employment. These themes are addressed with specific reference to union struggles in North West Tasmania, a region that is undergoing a process of de-industrialisation.
A Sellarsian Approach to the Normativism-Antinormativism Controversy
Authors: Christias Dionysis
Published: May 2014

In this article, it is argued that Sellars’ view of normativity is the key for a proper resolution of the debate between normativism and anti-normativism, as the latter is described in Turner’s recent book Explaining the Normative. Drawing on an early Sellarsian article (“A Semantical Solution to the Mind-Body Problem”), I suggest that both normativism and anti-normativism (including Turner’s brand of the latter) are ultimately unsatisfactory positions and for the same reason: due to their failure to draw a distinction between causal or explanatory reducibility and logical or conceptual reducibility of the normative to the non-normative.
How to Circumscribe Individualist Explanations
Authors: Zahle Julie
Published: May 2014

In “Redescription, Reduction, and Emergence: A Response to Tobias Hansson Wahlberg,” Elder-Vass takes the opportunity to reply to my criticism of his theory in “Holism, Emergence, and the Crucial Distinction.” In this response, I show how methodological individualists may respond to his argument against their position and I argue that Elder-Vass fails to provide reasons as to why his particular distinction between individualist and holist explanations should be adopted.
Perceived Organizational Health as a Mediator for Job Expectations
Authors: Meng Fanxing , Zhang Jin , Huang Zijuan
Published: May 2014

The comparison between self-expectations and perceived situations of one organization usually affects people’s perception of work. The present study proposes that perceived organizational health is a mediator for the relationships between job expectations and job self-efficacy, and between job expectations and job satisfaction. Also, job self-efficacy plays a mediating role between perceived organizational health and job satisfaction. The questionnaires were developed for Chinese participants. Data were collected from 477 junior employees in the public bus companies. Results indicated that the first two propositions had been confirmed. Both of them produced a complete mediating effect. Then they were combined and fitted in the same model, of which the fitness was good. The research outcomes were consistent with the social cognitive theory. Strengths, limitations, and future orientations have been discussed.
Association between parental emotional symptoms and child antisocial behaviour
Authors: Hautmann Christopher , Eichelberger Ilka , Hanisch Charlotte , Plück Julia , Walter Daniel , Döpfner Manfred
Published: May 2014

Parental anxiety and depression are associated with antisocial behaviour of children. Several mechanisms may mediate this association. The aim of this study was to test whether parenting is a mediator of the association of parental anxiety and depression with the antisocial social behaviour of preschool children. The analysis was based on cross-sectional data and 106 German families of children with elevated externalizing behaviour problems were considered. Mothers and fathers were analysed separately. Depression and anxiety in parents were both associated with children’s antisocial behaviour and this association was mediated by parenting. Further, our results indicated that the association between maternal depression and child behaviour is maintained after controlling for maternal anxiety, and that parenting of mothers is more strongly associated with child behaviour than parenting of fathers.
Promoting a place-based approach in the configuration of local development policies in Spain: The Catalan experience
Authors: Remesar Nemo , Borja Manuel
Published: May 2014

Incongruences generated since the democratic transition period have hindered local development actors and policies establishing a subsidiary relationship between the different tiers of Spanish administration. The economic crisis in Spain has further aggravated issues concerning funding and organisation directly affecting service provision and generating a negative correlation between services provided by local governments and financing received. This article discusses the experience through the Treball als barris ( Employment in the neighbourhoods) and Treball a les 7 Comarques ( Employment in the 7 Comarques) local development projects deployed in Catalonia which are geared towards shifting from the traditional sector-based implementation of employment promotion and economic development policies to a more territory and case-specific design. The adoption of a specific methodology, establishing a Charter of Services as an action framework, has been a step forward in recognising the pivotal role of local governments and communities not only through execution and implementation of projects, but also in the design and coordination of place-based development strategies.
Place-based economic development strategy in England: Filling the missing space
Authors: Hildreth Paul , Bailey David
Published: May 2014

This paper examines the implications of a place-based economic strategy in the context of the UK Coalition government’s framework for achieving local growth and the creation of Local Economic Partnerships in England. It draws on the international literature to outline the basic foundations of place-based policy approaches. It explores two key features, particularly as they relate to governance institutions and to the role of knowledge. After examining key concepts in the place-based policy literature, such as ‘communities of interest’ and ‘capital city’ and ‘local elites’, it shows how they might be interpreted in an English policy context. The paper then discusses a place-based approach towards an understanding of the role of knowledge, linked to debates around ‘smart specialisation’. In doing so, it shows why there is an important ‘missing space’ in local growth between the ‘national’ and the ‘local’ and how that space might be filled through appropriate governance institutions and policy responses. Overall, the paper outlines what a place-based approach might mean in particular for Central Government, in changing its approach towards sub-national places and for local places, in seeking to realise their own potential. Furthermore, it outlines what the ‘missing space’ is and how it might be filled, and therefore what a place-based sub-national economic strategy might address.
The discrepancy rate between preliminary and official reports of emergency radiology studies: a performance indicator and quality improvement method
Authors: Issa Ghada , Taslakian Bedros , Itani Malak , Hitti Eveline , Batley Nicholas , Saliba Miriam , El-Merhi Fadi
Published: May 2014

Background

At teaching hospitals, radiology residents give preliminary reports for imaging studies requested from the Emergency Department (ED). Discrepancy rates between preliminary and final reports represent an important performance indicator.

Purpose

To present a system for feedback and follow-up of discrepancies, identify the variables associated with the rate and severity of such discrepancies, target the weaknesses, and suggest the need of a standard reference value for comparison among institutions.

Material and Methods

A monitoring and communication system between the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Emergency Department was initiated to mark and follow all studies from the ED for which the official reading was different than the preliminary interpretation. Data analysis was performed on all studies from 1 June 2011 to 31 May 2012, based on the severity of the discrepancy, imaging modality, resident training level, and organ system. The distribution of the number of discrepancies among the different resident levels and imaging modalities was determined, as well as the distribution of three severity scores in correlation with other variables.

Results

The overall discrepancy rate was 1.62%. The discrepancy rate was higher for first and second year residents (1.62% and 1.96%) than for third and fourth year residents (1.35% and 1.24%). It was higher for computed tomography (2.13%) than for radiographs (1.29%) and ultrasound (0.8%) ( P value < 0.01), and higher for musculoskeletal (1.61%) than non-musculoskeletal (0.99%) radiographs ( P value = 0.0003). Discrepancies with severity score one constituted 35.5% of the total discrepancies, those with severity scores two and three constituted 22.9% and 41.6%, respectively.

Conclusion

We have demonstrated a system for follow-up of discrepancy in interpreting emergency radiology studies, and recorded the discrepancy rate, with further analysis based on different variables. In terms of quality assurance, a periodical analysis might help to reduce the number of discrepant reports by targeted intervention.
At the Intersection of Private and Political Conflict Zones
Authors: Erez Edna , Ibarra Peter R. , Gur Oren M.
Published: May 2014

This article addresses the challenges posed by state intervention in a multicultural society characterized by intense political conflict, juxtaposing the voices of batterers, victims, community members, and the officials who are involved in policing domestic violence (DV) in the Arab community in Israel. A meta-analysis of interview-based data excerpts appearing in published studies shows how the response to DV in the Arab community, though consistent with Israeli law and policy, creates a sense of paralysis for the police and frustration for the parties to the violence as well as the affected communities. The cultural, social, and political forces that underlie the dynamics, tensions, and pressures experienced by the various parties are analyzed in the context of everyday life amid concerns about the Israeli–Arab conflict. The implications for policing DV in minority communities, and for police–community relations in political conflict zones, are highlighted.
A Case of Giant Intracranial Tuberculoma in an Infant
Authors: Raheja Amol , Sinha Sumit , Sable Mukund Namdev , Sharma Mehar Chand , Sharma Bhawani Shankar
Published: May 2014

Intracranial tuberculoma in infants are a rare occurrence. We report a 7-month-old male infant presenting to our tertiary care referral center with complaints of global developmental delay and right hemiparesis for 3 months. Radiologic imaging was suggestive of large left frontoinsular space–occupying lesion with initial differential of primitive neuroectodermal tumor or desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma. Considering the clinicoradiologic findings and no history suggestive of immunodeficiency or contact with tuberculosis, surgical decompression was done. Final histopathology revealed multiple epithelioid granulomas suggestive of tubercular etiology or intracranial Langerhans cell histiocytosis. He was started on antitubercular therapy after ruling out Langerhans cell histiocytosis using CD1a and Langerin immunohistochemistry staining. Interpretation of tuberculous etiology in infants can be challenging for clinicians, radiologists, and pathologists. A high index of suspicion is necessary to diagnose such lesions, predominantly in endemic regions.
Electoral and Non-Electoral Participation in the Visegrad Countries
Authors: Nový Michal
Published: May 2014

The problem of low turnout at elections has become common in almost all post-communist countries. Given this weak participation in elections, some political scientists tend to see a crisis of emerging post-authoritarian political systems. Nevertheless, political participation, frequently considered to be the heart of democracy, should not be reduced to casting a ballot alone. This article makes an effort to discuss turnout more comprehensively. It aims at the association of this basic mode of civic engagement with less conventional political activities. Analysing European Social Survey data gathered in the Visegrad Four, the most advanced region in the former Eastern Bloc, it tries to address the issue of whether people who are active at a polling station simultaneously perform other activities in the broad repertoire of political participation. In other words, do active voters in the specific context of Central Europe also take part in different political actions, so that the relationship between participatory modes can be seen as tending to be complementary, or do voting and other forms of political action show little correlation?
Toward learner-centred high school curriculum-based research: A case study
Authors: Heath Rosemarie Antoniette
Published: May 2014

In highlighting the importance of information literacy, this study focuses on bringing the notion of ‘voice’ to high school curriculum-based research. It hangs on the theory that when students learn to own their research by writing themselves into it after accessing, analysing, and interpreting related information, they become information literate. The inquiry group provided a working context within which the emergence of voice may be encouraged. This research is qualitative in nature and takes the form of a case study in which the lived experiences of six students, a history teacher, and a school librarian were examined. The application of an action research model saw the student participants completing their own research projects while employing the Big6 skills created by Eisenberg and Berkowitz (1990). The study combined the information search process from Library and Information Studies with social constructivist learning theories from Education. Researchers and scholars in Library and Information Studies and Education will find this study interesting and relevant. It will also add to the limited Caribbean literature on this topic and act as a guide for future curriculum planning and implementation by educational administrators and other key stakeholders.
Moving a brick building: UK libraries coping with research data management as a ‘wicked’ problem
Authors: Cox Andrew M. , Pinfield Stephen , Smith Jennifer
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this paper is to explore the value to librarians of seeing research data management as a ‘wicked’ problem. Wicked problems are unique, complex problems which are defined differently by different stakeholders making them particularly intractable. Data from 26 semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews with librarians was analysed to see how far their perceptions of research data management aligned with the 16 features of a wicked problem identified from the literature. To a large extent research data management is perceived to be wicked, though over time good practices may emerge to help to ‘tame’ the problem. How interviewees thought research data management should be approached reflected this realisation. The generic value of the concept of wicked problems is considered and some first thoughts about how the curriculum for new entrants to the profession can prepare them for such problems are presented.
Outcome of adult onset systemic lupus erythematosus in Iran
Authors: Fatemi A , Matinfar M , Sayedbonakdar Z , Maracy M , Karimzadeh H , Saber M , Smiley A
Published: May 2014

Aim

The aim of this study was to determine systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) survival in adult patients and its predictors in Iran.

Methods

The adult patients diagnosed with SLE and admitted to our referral general hospital from 1992 to 2011 were studied. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data at the time of diagnosis were obtained retrospectively and analyzed. Survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Predictors of mortality were assessed by Cox regression analysis.

Results

In total, 417 were enrolled in the study; 23 were lost to follow-up. Mean (SD) age of SLE onset was 30 (9.7) years. During the study period 35 patients (8.9%) died. The most common causes of death were active SLE (43%), infections (28.6%) and circulatory diseases (20%). Overall survival rates after 5, 10, 15 and 20 years were 93%, 90%, 90% and 80%, respectively. Poor survival predictors in univariate analysis were pericarditis, seizure and hematuria. With multivariate Cox regression analysis, no pericarditis ( p = 0.007, HR = 0.22, 95%CI: 0.075–0.657) and no seizure ( p = 0.019, HR = 0.35, 95%CI: 0.149–0.846) at the time of SLE diagnosis were found as protective factors in patients’ survival.

Conclusion

Our study revealed that the survival rate of SLE is comparable with the acceptable worldwide trend. Presenting with pericarditis and seizure at the time of SLE diagnosis prominently decreased the survival rate. Prospective and multicenter studies are needed to better identify the behavior of SLE in Iran.
The effects of rituximab on the lipid profile of patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus: results from a nationwide cohort in Spain (LESIMAB)
Authors: Fernández-Nebro A , Marenco JL , López-Longo F , Galindo M , Hernández-Cruz BE , Narváez J , Rúa-Figueroa Í I , Raya-Alvarez E , Zea A , Freire M , Sánchez-Atrio AI , García-Vicuña R , Pego-Reigosa JM , Manrique-Arija S , Nieves-Martín L , Carreño L ,   on behalf of LESIMAB GROUP
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have increased cardiovascular risk related to lipid changes induced by inflammatory activity, proteinuria and treatments. Our objective was to analyse lipid changes in a cohort of patients with SLE resistant to standard treatments who were treated with rituximab.

Methods

The study population comprised a retrospective multicentre, national cohort of patients with SLE resistant to standard treatments who were treated with rituximab. The basic lipid profile, concomitant treatment and disease activity were analysed at the start of the treatment, 24 weeks later, and at the end of the follow-up period. The effects of the main lupus variables and therapy on the lipid changes were analysed.

Results

Seventy-nine patients with active lupus treated with rituximab were assessed during 149.3 patient-years. Prior to the treatment, 69% had dyslipidaemia. The most frequent abnormalities were a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level of ≥100 mg/dl (34%) and a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level of <50 mg/dl (27%). Baseline total cholesterol (TC) and LDL levels correlated with the degree of proteinuria, while the concentration of triglycerides (TGs) correlated with the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). TGs were reduced at short- and long-term follow-up after rituximab treatment. A multiple linear regression analysis identified that the reduction of the lupus inflammatory activity, particularly changes in proteinuria, was the only independent variable that was positively associated with the reduction in TGs after 24 weeks ( p = 0.001) and with TC ( p = 0.005) and TGs ( p < 0.001) at the end of the follow-up period.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that rituximab may improve the long-term lipid profile of patients with SLE refractory to standard treatment, mainly by reducing inflammatory activity.
Choice of agreement indices for assessing and improving measurement reproducibility in a core laboratory setting
Authors: Barnhart Huiman X , Yow Eric , Crowley Anna Lisa , Daubert Melissa A , Rabineau Dawn , Bigelow Robert , Pencina Michael , Douglas Pamela S
Published: May 2014

Clinical core laboratories, such as Echocardiography core laboratories, are increasingly used in clinical studies with imaging outcomes as primary, secondary, or surrogate endpoints. While many factors contribute to the quality of measurements of imaging variables, an essential step in ensuring the value of imaging data includes formal assessment and control of reproducibility via intra-observer and inter-observer reliability. There are many different agreement/reliability indices in the literature. However, different indices may lead to different conclusions and it is not clear which index is the preferred choice as an overall indication of data quality and a tool for providing guidance on improving quality and reliability in a core lab setting. In this paper, we pre-specify the desirable characteristics of an agreement index for assessing and improving reproducibility in a core lab setting; we compare existing agreement indices in terms of these characteristics to choose a preferred index. We conclude that, among the existing indices reviewed, the coverage probability for assessing agreement is the preferred agreement index on the basis of computational simplicity, its ability for rapid identification of discordant measurements to provide guidance for review and retraining, and its consistent evaluation of data quality across multiple reviewers, populations, and continuous/categorical data.
John Alexander Sinton, MD FRS VC (1884–1956)
Authors: Cook GC
Published: May 2014

Brigadier John Sinton is the only individual in history to have been both awarded the Victoria Cross and also elected to the Royal Society. He qualified at Belfast and afterwards joined the Indian Medical Service (IMS). Serving before and during the Great War (1914–18), he was first posted to the North-West Frontier province, and afterwards as a captain in the Indian Expeditionary force in Mesopotamia ( now Iraq). It was there in 1916 that, shot in both arms during an engagement and under heavy gunfire, he remained steadfastly at his post; for this bravery he received the Victoria Cross. Following the war he carried out major researches into malaria in India, and became Director of the Malaria Survey of India. Both there and shortly afterwards, Sinton published about 200 papers on various aspects of malaria and leishmaniasis. In England, he later worked at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Ministry of Health's laboratory at Horton, Epsom. In 1946, he was elected to the Royal Society for his researches into malaria and kala-azar, and following retirement he underwent another distinguished career in Northern Ireland.
Qutb al-Dīn Shīrāzī (1236–1311), Persian polymath physician in the medieval period
Authors: Nadim Mostafa , Farjam Mojtaba
Published: May 2014

Qutb al-Dīn Shīrāzī, a great physician in the medieval period of the Iranian Islamic age, is also called Allāma (polymath) for his extraordinary expertise in almost all fields of contemporary sciences. The peaceful and cultural environment of his hometown and family contributed to his development despite a time of horror from Mongolian repeated invasions of the Islamic countries. Shīrāzī never ceased learning and researching and migrated widely in order to find scientists to learn from them. He worked in many centres as a teacher and researcher. He practised medicine and educated students, and his books on other fields of science reflect his comprehensive mastery of most of the basic sciences and the humanities. Shīrāzī ’s social and political roles make him one of the paramount of Iranian elites who contributed to the re-establishment of the Iranian-Islamic civilisation after its destruction by the Mongolians in the thirteenth century.
Alberto Urrets-Zavalía Jr (1920–2010): An Argentinian contributor to ophthalmology
Authors: Grzybowski Andrzej , Urrets-Zavalía Julio A , Ascaso Francisco J
Published: May 2014

Alberto Urrets-Zavalía Jr was born in Córdoba (Argentina) in 1920. Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology of the National University of Córdoba and founder of the Cornea and Glaucoma Surgical Center in the same city, in 1956 he created the first residency programme in Ophthalmology in his country. He founded the first Eye Bank and introduced one of the first argon laser photocoagulators in South America. He authored around 200 scientific presentations and publications, describing new findings and clinical entities. Thus, his individualisation of the cyclovertical component in strabismus contributed to important evolution of ideas concerning pathogenesis and therapy in oculomotor disorders of infancy. He was the first to propose the dehydration of the vitreous body in glaucoma patients before ocular surgery and developed a fixation pick and scleral depressor for retinal detachment surgery. He also described a new technique, the V-Z procedures for the correction of senile ectropion. In 1968, he published his Décollement de la rétine, considered a masterpiece in retinal detachment literature for many years. Urrets-Zavalía died in his native city at the age of 89. His prolific scientific and educational contributions make him one of the most brilliant and influential ophthalmologists of the 20th-century.
Medical missionaries to China and the reformation of anatomy
Authors: Fu Louis
Published: May 2014

The earliest record of human anatomy in chapters of the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic is likely to be based upon proper dissections. The first incident of human dissection for medical purpose documented in the History of Han Dynasty occurred in AD 13. During the Sung dynasty, a physician prepared illustrations of internal organs of executed criminals, published in 1113 as the Images of Truth. Successive Chinese medical treatises have plagiarized but preserved the anatomical diagrams without improvements or modifications. China had to wait till the mid-19th century for Anglo-American Protestant medical missionaries to bring about a complete and permanent reformation of anatomical science.
Healing bodies or saving souls? Reverend Dr Peter Parker (1804–1888) as medical missionary
Authors: Fu Louis
Published: May 2014

The important role played by medical services in the preaching of the Gospel in China was undeniable. Anglo-American missionaries entered Canton in the early 18th century and introduced modern Western medicine to China. Reverend Dr Peter Parker, founder of medical missionaries to China, was more than that, far more advanced than his predecessors including Drs Pearson, Livingstone and Colledge. He was an enthusiastic missionary of exceptional ability and vigour as witnessed his labours at the Canton Ophthalmic Hospital. His 20 years in the medical field unexpectedly paved the way for his future career as a diplomat in the American Legation.
Did Openness and Human Capital Affect Total Factor Productivity? Evidence from the South Asian Region
Authors: Rath Badri Narayan , Parida Purna Chandra
Published: May 2014

This article examines the impact of human capital and openness on total factor productivity (TFP) for five South Asian countries—India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal—during the period from 1980 to 2011. The empirical results derived from the panel cointegration techniques provide evidence of a long-run relationship among the variables. The dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) results show that the long-run elasticities of TFP with respect to human capital and openness are positive. The results, however, suggest that the impact of human capital on TFP is relatively weaker than the impact of openness on TFP for the South Asian countries. The study also examines the long-run and short-run Granger causality between these three variables in a panel framework. The results indicate that there is a long-run Granger causality running from trade openness and human capital to TFP. Similarly, in the short-run, there exists a bi-directional Granger causality between trade openness and total factor productivity and between total factor productivity and human capital. The study suggests that by improving trade policy reforms, such as, licensing policies, and removing trade barriers, the low-income countries in South Asia can increase their level of openness, which would boost the TFP in the short run.
The exact theory of axisymmetric electro-magneto-thermo-elastic circular cylinder
Authors: Wu Di , Yu Lianying , Zhao Baosheng , Yang Lianzhi , Gao Yang
Published: May 2014

Without employing ad hoc stress or deformation assumptions, various equations and solutions for circular cylinders are deduced systematically and directly from axisymmetric problem of transversely isotropic electro-magneto-thermo-elastic media. These equations and solutions can be used to construct the exact theory of cylinders. A method for the solutions of two-dimensional equations is presented, and with the method, the exact theory can now be explicitly established from the general solution and Lur’e method. The exact solutions for cylinders with nonhomogeneous boundary conditions are derived directly from the exact theory. Not taking into account the coupling effect, the result reduces to the corresponding solution of the elastic counterpart. Furthermore, an illustrative example studied also indicates that the exact or accurate solutions can be obtained in use of the exact theory. Hence, the results obtained here are considered reliable as a basis for more general applications.
Analysis of ultrasonic waveforms from smart sandwich composite structures under creep bending at elevated temperature
Authors: La Saponara Valeria , Farrugia Anaïs , Lestari Wahyu , Muliana Anastasia
Published: May 2014

Sandwich structures with polyurethane foam core and glass fiber–reinforced polymer facesheets with three orientations were investigated experimentally and numerically under three-point bending tests at 80 °C, at a relatively low load level associated with a linear viscoelastic response. Off-the-shelf piezoelectric transducers were inserted inside one of the facesheets and were interrogated in pitch-catch at low ultrasonic frequencies during testing. The objective of this article is to investigate ability and sensitivity of the embedded transducers to detect creep deformation. The denoised received waveforms were analyzed in the time domain, where guided wave speeds were found to exhibit a drop due to temperature changes (most significant in the sandwich samples with off-axis orientation), followed by an increase, eventually reaching an asymptotic value. The waveforms were also processed in the joint frequency–time domain, with a novel signal processing technique built upon Gabor wavelet transforms and their contour lines. It is shown that this wavelet contour technique indirectly captures the trend of physically measured displacements and can differentiate among the three different fiber orientations in the facesheets, and among room temperature and 80 °C. This technique has the potential to effectively track creep time-dependent response and life performance in smart sandwich composites.
Beta-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Expression in Recurrent and Metastatic Giant Cell Tumors of Bone
Authors: Lawless Margaret E. , Jour George , Hoch Benjamin L. , Rendi Mara H.
Published: May 2014

Giant cell tumors of bone (GCTs) are generally benign, locally aggressive neoplasms that rarely metastasize. The beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) is expressed in syncytiotrophoblasts and several nongynecologic neoplasms but has not been described in GCT. At our institution, we observed cases of elevated beta-hCG in patients with GCT leading to diagnostic difficulty and in one case, concern for metastatic choriocarcinoma. This study aims to determine the frequency of beta-hCG expression in GCT and any relationship to clinical aggressiveness. We evaluated tissue expression of beta-hCG by immunohistochemistry with 58% of cases staining for beta-hCG. Additionally, 2 of 11 patients with available serum and/or urine beta-hCG measurements demonstrated elevated beta-hCG due to tumor. It is important to be aware of beta-hCG expression by GCT and the potential for elevated urine and serum beta-hCG levels in patients with GCT so as to avoid misdiagnosis of pregnancy or gestational trophoblastic disease.
The Brief Irritability Test (BITe)
Authors: Holtzman Susan , O’Connor Brian P. , Barata Paula C. , Stewart Donna E.
Published: May 2014

Elevated levels of irritability have been reported across a range of psychiatric and medical conditions. However, research on the causes, consequences, and treatments of irritability has been hindered by limitations in existing measurement tools. This study aimed to develop a brief, reliable, and valid self-report measure of irritability that is suitable for use among both men and women and that displays minimal overlap with related constructs. First, 63 candidate items were generated, including items from two recent irritability scales. Second, 1,116 participants (877 university students and 229 chronic pain outpatients) completed a survey containing the irritability item pool and standardized measures of related constructs. Item response theory was used to develop a five-item scale (the Brief Irritability Test) with a strong internal structure. All five items displayed minimal conceptual overlap with related constructs (e.g., depression, anger), and test scores displayed negligible gender bias. The Brief Irritability Test shows promise in helping to advance the burgeoning field of irritability research.
Examining Mutual Suppression Effects in the Assessment of Perfectionism Cognitions
Authors: Stoeber Joachim , Kobori Osamu , Brown Anna
Published: May 2014

Perfectionism cognitions capture automatic perfectionistic thoughts and have explained variance in psychological adjustment and maladjustment beyond trait perfectionism. The aim of the present research was to investigate whether a multidimensional assessment of perfectionism cognitions has advantages over a unidimensional assessment. To this aim, we examined in a sample of 324 university students how the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (PCI) and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (MPCI) explained variance in positive affect, negative affect, and depressive symptoms when factor or subscale scores were used as predictors compared to total scores. Results showed that a multidimensional assessment (PCI factor scores, MPCI subscale scores) explained more variance than a unidimensional assessment (PCI and MPCI total scores) because, when the different dimensions were entered simultaneously as predictors, perfectionistic strivings cognitions and perfectionistic concerns cognitions acted as mutual suppressors thereby increasing each others’ predictive validity. With this, the present findings provide evidence that—regardless of whether the PCI or the MPCI is used—a multidimensional assessment of perfectionism cognitions has advantages over a unidimensional assessment in explaining variance in psychological adjustment and maladjustment.
The Use of Hospitalists by Small Rural Hospitals
Authors: Casey Michelle M. , Hung Peiyin , Moscovice Ira , Prasad Shailendra
Published: May 2014

Research on hospitalist programs has primarily focused on large, urban facilities. To fill a gap in the literature on hospitalist use in rural hospitals, the authors conducted a national survey of 402 rural hospitals with 100 or fewer beds that had reported having hospitalists. The survey examined reasons for using hospitalists, characteristics of hospitalist practices, and the impacts of hospitalist use in rural settings. Rural hospitals most commonly establish a hospitalist program to address medical staff requests, call coverage, and quality issues. Respondents report positive impacts of hospitalist programs on quality of care and primary care physician recruitment and retention, but mixed financial impacts. Assessments of the impact of hospitalists in rural hospitals need to take into account the variety of practitioner specialties functioning as hospitalists, the amount of time they spend as hospitalists, and the multiple roles they play in the rural hospital and community.